The Clearing
by CallMeFireFly
Summary: "Kissing was never more than a ploy to get what I want. I didn't find any pleasure in it the way humans did. At least not until today. Yes, I would definitely have to stay away from Bonnie McCullough." Damon & Bonnie POV's.
1. Chapter 1

_**Bonnie**_

I knew it was a long shot. There was no way he'd be anywhere near here. And to come back to the clearing where he had been "called out", so to speak…

It had been a year since Klaus had attacked us. A whole year since Elena had come back to us. And then the kitsune…

It had been a rough year, to say the least.

Still, I felt like this place was sacred in a way. I had seen into his _soul_. The night that Damon looked into my eyes, the scared little boy look on his face…I had seen the look that told me how much he really cared for his brother. And I knew he was capable of something other than being such a bastard.

No one believed me, of course. They all chalked it up to _sweet and innocent Bonnie,_ or _poor childish Bonnie_. No one trusted that I might know a little something.

I would prove them wrong.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

The voice broke through my concentration, annoying me to my core. I knew exactly who it was the minute I heard it.

That beautiful little witch, Bonnie.

The blonde girl in my arms…what was her name again? Oh well, not that it mattered. She was just a meal anyhow. I finished with her and tossed her aside. Seedy motel rooms disgusted me, and this room was no exception. She had told me that she was 18, a freshman at Fell's Church's community college, and that she had just moved here, so this was the best she could do. No matter. It wasn't like I had wanted to _sleep_ with her.

The voice came again, and I looked up from my dinner. She was sound asleep, limp in my arms. I could leave and be back before she even noticed. But I didn't want to come back. I wanted to see…_her_.

Yes, curiosity rocked me, but was that all? What could she possibly want with me? We had rescued Stefan from his hell. He and Elena were probably off somewhere living a happy life…Not that I cared in the least. But it would be interesting to find out what the witch wanted.

_Bonnie_…I forced myself to think her name. Her big brown eyes had entranced me that night. I let my guard down, and she _saw_ me. The _real_ me. No one had seen that side of me in years. I never even thought he was still living.

But she saw it. And apparently it hadn't frightened her. She was intrigued by me, I could see it as she watched me. But it had been a year now…she couldn't possibly be still thinking about me…?

_Well, let's face it…look at me._ And I did. I stood up and glanced at myself in the mirror across from the bed. My cheeks were flushed from my meal, but I didn't think that was bad. She would probably find it fascinating…like everything else about me. Her fear radiated off of her when she stood by me, and it damn near choked me.

Better get this over with…

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I knew he heard me. The tingling started moments later, and I could almost hear the crow's wings beating the wind as he flew to me. What would I say? What was I doing? I was alone, preparing to face the monster I had feared for what seemed like forever. What was I trying to prove anyway? I turned to run, and then realized it was too late.

Damon stood in front of me, across the clearing, with a wild look in his eyes.

_Damn_.

Still, he was gorgeous. But I hadn't expected any different. He would never change, frozen in time in his early twenties. He was still wearing all black, but this time the jacket he wore so frequently was not there. Just a pair of black jeans, black boots, and a tight fitting black t-shirt. He looked at me, cocked his head to the side as he tried to probe my thoughts and frowned when he realized I could block him.

"_Rossa_," he said. I knew the word. It was in reference to the color of my hair, and it sent shivers down my spine to hear him speak. I nodded toward him, too stunned to speak. "You called?"

"Y…yes," I stammered. I was an idiot. What the hell was I doing?

"You look well," he said, and smiled at me.

I nodded again. _Say something!!!_ "I'm surprised you heard me. I didn't think you were anywhere near here."

He nodded now. _I could so get lost in those beautiful eyes…_ "I was…close."

Close could mean anywhere. With his "hearing" he could probably be in Spain and still hear me…

He looked at me again, still trying to break through my block and read what I was thinking. "So, I'm curious as to what you wanted. We haven't spoken in ages."

"I wanted to make sure you were ok." _Did I just say that? Of course he's ok!_

Damon smiled, and then chuckled lightly. "You were worried about me?" He took a step toward me. I froze. "Ah _cara_, that's…sweet."

He was only inches away from me now and I could hear my heart thrumming like a hummingbird's wings. He could hear it too, I was sure. And then he grinned widely, showing me his fully extended canines.

_Oh God, I'm going to die._

His eyes snapped to mine from where he was engrossed in the blood flow at my throat. _He heard me_. "_Rossa_," he purred, and reached out his hand to caress my cheek. "Why would you assume I was here to kill you?"

My eyes widened, his confirmation ringing in my ears. "I…uh…"

He shook his head slowly. "You called me. I wanted to know what you needed." He smiled again, and I noticed his canines had retreated. "I won't hurt you."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

She turned to me, not realizing I was already standing there, and jumped. _That's cute. She's scared of me._

I searched her inner voice and could hear nothing. So she was blocking me? How very interesting. I would just have to speak to her vocally then. "_Rossa_," I called softly. She nodded toward me in acknowledgement. I was afraid my presence had thrown her into a catatonic state. _Good, she's still breathing at least. _"You called?"

"Y…yes," she stuttered. I tried not to think about the blood flowing just beneath her skin. It was calling to me, and even though I had just fed I was fairly certain I would have to use some restraint. _No, there's something else I want from her._

"You look well," I said softly. She did. Her cheeks were flushed, in response to me I assumed, and she wore a tight turtleneck sweater with form fitting jeans. Her jeans were tucked into her knee high boots and she fidgeted…a lot.

She nodded again. Was she afraid to speak to me? "I'm surprised you heard me. I didn't think you were anywhere near here," she said finally.

I smiled internally. _Oh, if you only knew how close I was…_ "I was…close." The truth.

I still couldn't hear her thoughts. Dammit… "So, I'm curious as to what you wanted. We haven't spoken in ages."

She smiled slightly. "I wanted to make sure you were ok."

_Me? _She can't be serious… "You were worried about me?" I took a step toward her and watched to make sure she didn't move away. She was still…too still. She didn't move at all. "Ah _cara_, that's…sweet."

I heard her heart rate accelerate. I couldn't help but smile. I felt my canines extend and tried, unsuccessfully, to hide them from her.

_Oh God, I'm going to die_, I finally heard from her head.

My eyes touched hers then. _Why would I want to kill you?_ But she was blocking me again, obviously realizing I caught her slip. "_Rossa_," I purred in my most seductive tone, and reached out to touch her cheek. "Why would you assume I was here to kill you?"

Her eyes glazed over and widened. "I…uh…"

"You called me. I wanted to know what you needed." I smiled again, showing her my canines were firmly under my control. "I won't hurt you."

Truly I had no intentions of hurting her. She would see that soon. The night I had bathed her at the boarding house, sucking the poison from her body as she lay dying, and then feeding her my own life source should've been clue enough. I decided she may need another hint and closed the gap between us, extending my other hand to the other side of her face.

She fell, and I almost missed her. Not good.

_Wait…did she just faint?_

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me. I had caught her a few inches above the ground and her eyes widened again at our closeness. Clearly she was alarmed again as I heard her heartbeats triple in syncopation. "Bonnie, I won't hurt you," I said again. "I promise."

She nodded, and looked down at where we seemed to be connected. I had leaned down in my attempt to keep her head from hitting the ground, and her backside was leaning on my thigh, as I was almost sitting. No, more like crouching. _Whatever_. She was touching me. I suddenly felt the need to pick her up, and fast. I set her on her feet and shoved my hands in my pockets. She watched me intently.

Then she smiled.

I about came unglued. This was a strange turn of events. I didn't want to taste her. I wanted to…

I wanted to kiss her.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

_I cannot believe I just fainted!_

Apparently he didn't realize he may have had that effect on women. _No, he had to know_.

_But he still didn't hurt me, he _caught_ me._

I felt his leg underneath me and even through my jeans, I could feel the muscles. I don't think I had ever taken the time to look away from his face long enough to study his physique. He was created like a sculpture. I wondered if that was in response to his Change, though I would never ask him. I couldn't really imagine us having much to talk about anyway.

When he had set me on my feet, further away from him than I wanted to be, he shoved his hands into his pockets. _To restrain himself? He just told me he wouldn't hurt me. For the second time in the last ten minutes._

I smiled at him, trying to encourage him to move closer. The initial fear was gone. And now replaced with something else.

He took his bottom lip in his mouth, biting down while he looked directly at my own lips. I had always heard Elena say that when a boy wanted to kiss a girl he would stare at her lips…just like Damon was doing to me now.

And I wanted him to kiss me.

I had no clue how to do it without him killing me.

Damon cleared his throat, and I looked at his eyes again. "So what was it?"

"Huh?"

"Whatever you wanted. Were you going to tell me or were we just going to stare at each other all day?" He sounded annoyed now.

"I told you."

"But that's not all, is it?" He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Damon, I—"

And then he was kissing me. I honestly thought I had fallen and hit my head, or was dreaming, because it was the only thing that made any sense. But when I opened my eyes to peek, his eyes were closed, and his lips were moving against mine.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I couldn't help myself.

I tried to be cold. I tried to be seductive, which worked all too well, because now I was kissing her. And she was letting me, without reservation.

Bonnie molded herself to me once she relaxed, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her deeper into my embrace. She felt so…_good_. She was warm, and petite, and smelled like strawberries. If I had any appetite for human food, which now disgusted me beyond belief, I would eat strawberries all day just to remind me of her.

_What?! _

I stiffened a little, trying to break the kiss. I couldn't even open my eyes. This felt like heaven.

_Yeah right…you'd never know what Heaven felt like._

Bonnie broke away first. She smiled sweetly, and looked into my eyes, trying to decipher what to say. Like I was going to run away now?

"I'm glad you came."

I nodded. "I can always hear you, _rossa_. No matter how far apart we are. I'll be in touch."

I winked, and turned away, walking as fast as I could.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Damon**_

In a matter of moments, my entire world came crashing down within me, the monster inside laughing mercilessly, and yet everything remained the same to the outside world.

In a cosmic lapse of judgment, I leaned down and kissed this beautiful little bird. The little witch I found myself craving more and more every time I looked into her eyes. And she didn't pull away…not at all. She _leaned in_, obviously wanting more.

I was right to break the kiss when I did.

Kissing was never more than a ploy to get what I want. I didn't find any pleasure in it the way humans did. At least not until today. Yes, I would definitely have to stay away from Bonnie McCullough.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I was dazed.

One minute he was kissing me and the next his lips were pulled roughly from mine and he was walking away faster than I had ever seen. I was actually surprised he hadn't changed into his crow form and flown away like…well like a bat out of hell.

I giggled at the comparison. _Yeah, like he's never heard _that_ one before._ And then I found myself wondering if he had ever taken the form of a bat. I giggled again.

I was back at the boarding house, looking for Elena and Stefan. The sun had begun to set as I was kissing Damon…I still couldn't get the feel of his lips out of my head. Cool and soft, it was like they molded to my own. And he tasted like…nothing I had ever tasted before in my life. I couldn't even _begin_ to compare it to anything. It was pure heaven. I would _have_ to kiss him again.

* * * * * * *

**2**

_**Damon**_

I could watch her all day…from a safe distance. It had been a full week since the kiss in the clearing, and my lips still burned from where they had touched hers. My _brother_ had noticed my unusually foul mood. Who was I kidding? I was _always_ foul around him. His sickeningly sweet banter with his lady love had me gagging every time I was around them. And since she could not be seen in public these days, wherever I was, _they_ were. I found myself in more trees these days, crow and human form alike.

With the heights I rested at there was no way she could see me, and I _had_ to watch her. _Great, now I'm a peeping tom._ Eventually I would have to talk to her again, because I couldn't _not_ be near her. Every time I felt her presence in the air it was as if her aura was pulling me to her, and hard as I tried, I wouldn't be able to refuse it much longer. And if I was cold and callous to her, the way I had been before I kissed her, she seemed that much more determined to be around me. There was no winning with this girl.

Still, I couldn't be angry with her. She had no idea the effect she had on me. To her, I was probably still the same monster I had always been. And she was right not to trust me. But that was before the kiss. _Maledica queste emozioni umane! _

Yes…I would be staying away from _il mio uccello piccolo_ a while longer.

But soon, and very soon, I would be near her again. And I wasn't sure I could handle it. Feed as I did, her eyes danced before me when I would close my own, taking what I could from these unsuspecting girls. I could see her clearly as she looked me up and down, so fearful that I would…_what_? Was she afraid I would leave? After I kissed her, I saw the look of disappointment come over her beautiful features and I felt an urge to go to her and take her back into my arms. I slapped myself internally the moment I thought it.

No. Were I to be alone with her now, I wasn't sure I could truly carry myself normally. And I would _have_ to. There was no way I would let her see me as anything but something she _should_ fear. I was dangerous, and she had to remember that. I would have to remind her.

* * * * * * *

I watched as she got into her mother's borrowed station wagon. How humans ever drove anything that decrepit I would never know. It was truly a beast, and not in the pleasant sense of the word. My Ferrari could spin circles around that ghastly thing, and it would be fun showing Bonnie how I could…

_No, I will _not_ see her._ I almost screamed at myself internally. There was no way around it.

I would have to leave, and immediately.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

He was watching me.

I could feel it. It was almost as if I could see his fathomless black eyes in the night wherever I went.

And in truth, I was probably _willing_ them to be there. I think I had truly pushed myself to the brink of madness.

But if I _was_ crazy, I would gladly take it. Just imagining him, his voice, his smell…it gave me goose bumps all over my arms.

Elena, Meredith and I were all visiting at the boarding house. Elena was still…well, dead to Fell's Church. She was back as a spirit, and now she was human again…or at least we thought she was. No one was really sure and we didn't exactly have anyone we could ask.

"Hello? Earth to Bonnie!" Meredith waved her hand in front of my face. "Where were you just now? We're in the middle of an important discussion."

"Oh, sorry," I muttered. I blushed and I swore I heard a gasp from outside the window.

_Yup, McCullough, you're officially insane._

I looked quickly, only to see the wind rustling the trees outside. _Hmm…_ I walked slowly, much to the girls' surprise. Elena's eyes widened when she saw where I was headed and she jumped in front of me. "What are you doing, Bonnie?"

I blinked a few times before I felt her hands holding my arms above the shoulders. "What? Opening the window? I didn't realize that was a crime."

Elena narrowed her eyes at me and then let me go. "It's cold in here." She looked over at Meredith. _There's something going on over there that they're not telling me._

Meredith straightened in her chair and let out a sharp breath as I turned to open the window. I almost expected to see Damon standing somewhere in the trees. _How stupid!_

But I felt a pull toward the back of the yard, and I saw a flash of black, as if something was running away. _I knew it._ "Um, guys," I turned slowly back toward them. "I gotta get something from the car. Meredith, can I have your keys?"

Meredith looked at me as if I had three heads. I raised my eyebrows at her and stuck my hand out again impatiently. She tossed them to me and I missed, cursing under my breath as they hit the floor. _He's getting away!_ I glanced once again at them and made my way down to Meredith's car.

I looked around nervously as I walked over to unlock the driver's side door. I jumped slightly when I heard rustling in the trees just on the other side of the car, and laughed out loud when I saw the black bunny jumping away, just as nervous as I was.

A chill went straight through my heavy sweater and I heard it.

"Bonnie…"

The wind whispered my name. No, that was entirely impossible…wasn't it? _Of course that's impossible! The wind doesn't have a voice. It can't speak._

"_Il mio uccello bella, Bonnie…"_

Ánd it certainly couldn't speak Italian.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I have gained some fans I see!**_

_**Much love to all of you, and thank you for your support! Especially Kryptonite12, my "beta" of sorts. You are my biggest fan by far. Love you much!**_

_**This won't go much longer than 5 chapters…cause I have a bunch of other points to touch on with other characters. **____** I just wish these characters were MY brain child…Mad love to L J Smith for creating my first real book crush…Damon Salvatore.**_

_**Please enjoy the ride! And comment / review as you see fit…**_

**3**

_**Bonnie**_

I whipped around, looking for him. He _had_ to be there. Wind doesn't talk, and Italian? Come on!

And then realization set in. What if it was Stefan? And he thought I was Elena. _He_ speaks Italian too. I giggled at my own stupidity and turned back toward the boarding house.

Damon stood directly in front of me.

I stifled a scream, just in case the girls were listening upstairs. "Hi," I whispered. _Nice, McCullough…real smooth._

He cocked his head to the side, attempting to read my thoughts again. And again, I blocked him successfully, and he looked angry. His face suddenly smoothed and he looked me up and down. "_Rossa,_" he said, nodding in my direction.

I tried to look away but his gazed held me. I felt the pull again and almost started walking toward him. The look he gave me told me otherwise.

"It's good to see you again," I breathed. "I thought maybe you'd left."

Damon casually leaned against the tree, crossing his arms, and a smirk coming across his lips. _His beautiful lips…_I straightened up and cleared my throat. "I did. But I had to come back…to check on things."

_Please be talking about me! Please say you felt the same connection I felt!_ "Oh?" I cringed inside. This man always had me stuck on stupid, it seemed. If I could've slapped myself across the forehead, I would've. "And are you satisfied with what you found?"

His smile widened and I felt my heart skip a beat. "Oh very…"

My pulse started quickening and visions flooded my head. I saw him running to me, throwing my body up against a tree and kissing me hungrily. Of course he would never actually do it, but the thought was absolutely thrilling! I felt my cheeks heat and had to look down as he sucked in a slow deep breath. I cleared my throat again and looked back up at him. He was still staring at me.

I was suddenly very self-conscious. _Damn, what if I have spinach between my teeth? How embarrassing!_ He didn't speak, but his eyes narrowed at me, trying to break through my block again, I assumed. If I let him through he would know the hold he had on me, and I didn't think I was ready for that yet.

Painfully, I pulled my eyes from his and walked to the back of the car. The more distance between us right now, the better. Maybe I could actually _think_. "So, are you here for a while then?"

Damon's eyes narrowed again as he watched me. "Perhaps. It would seem that my _brother_ is quite content with himself and his… _surroundings_ these days, and has no real need of me. Still, I like the view here. And what fun would it be if I left my brother to enjoy this town alone?"

I wasn't sure we were talking about Fell's Church anymore.

_Fine, be cryptic_. _Two can play that game._

"I see what you mean," I said , smiling triumphantly.

Damon must've seen what I was trying to do and he chuckled. _Ok, so only _one_ of us could play this game._ "Do you?"

I dipped my head, feeling very vulnerable. When I looked up again he was inches away from me. While it startled me, it excited me more. One step…all I had to take was one step…

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I was truly insane.

I couldn't leave well enough alone. She came out to the car to "get something" I heard her say upstairs. We both knew well enough that she didn't need anything from the car.

She had seen me from the window. At least she _thought_ she did. Little did she know how right she was.

She blocked me most of the time, but while she slept I could hear her thoughts as though she was telling them to me directly. She _wanted_ me, in every way possible. I found myself wondering how far she'd actually go with this. Would she ever become like me? I was selfish enough to want that, no matter the cost. And her dreams told me she didn't think it was such a bad idea. She _craved_ it.

I had to squelch a scream of excitement when I heard the thoughts she had had most recently.

What did she know of taking a vampire for a lover?

Her actions and thoughts alike screamed her virginity to me, and as much as I wanted her, those feelings were not familiar enough to act on. Bloodlust was most prominent in my thoughts, and nothing more. But with every passing day, watching Bonnie interact with the humans she considered her family, made me wonder how far we could actually go with this. I laughed within at the concept.

She stood with her back to me and then turned, her wide eyes growing even wider. How could she not have known I was there? She seemed to sense me every other time I was near. Almost instantly I felt her mind block come up like a brick wall.

"Hi," she whispered. Her eyes tried to shy away from me. _Oh no you don't, Rossa._

I liked my pet name for her. I was sure she liked it too, but she was blocking me again. Frustration clouded my thoughts and I'm sure my face showed it, as she eyed me. I calmed myself a little so she wouldn't be tempted to run…or blush. The _dolce sangue _that colored her cheeks when it happened made my mouth water. I couldn't harm her, I had vehemently promised her I never would. "_Rossa_," I said, nodding toward her in acknowledgment.

I felt that strange pull coming from her again, and I couldn't look away from her eyes. It seemed she was just as stuck as I was, judging from the way she rocked back and forth absently. I thought she was going to faint again, and felt the urge to go to her…again. Anger flashed across my face. I felt it. And then I saw that she noticed it, stepping back a small space, though I don't think she noticed.

__"It's good to see you again," she almost breathed. "I thought maybe you'd left."

_This is it. I'm gonna lose it…Just one sniff of her hair, one touch of her skin..._Instead of leaping to her like I wanted to, I leaned against the nearest tree in an attempt to look aloof. I hoped desperately that it worked. I crossed my arms before they could betray me and pick her up, dragging her into the woods behind us while I… "I did. But I had to come back…to check on things." _There, safe enough._

Her expression changed and still I caught nothing of her thoughts. I could use more of my Power on her, but damn her Druid heritage! It was strong, and near impenetrable. "Oh?" was all she said.

_Oh? What the hell does '_oh?'_ mean? This was going to be impossible…_

"And are you satisfied with what you found?"

I blinked, twice, trying to decipher what she was trying to ask me. In any normal human girl I could look into her eyes, hear her thoughts, and take her. I didn't even need force, my Power wasn't even usually necessary. Women wanted to hear the sweet nothings that most men were incapable of in these times. I was the exception. In all my five hundred years, and even before, I had no problem with the opposite sex. But this little witch, this temptress…

__I widened my smile and heard her heart flutter. I decided the truth was the best option in this case, and said simply, "Oh very…"

A thought must've occurred to her, because she looked down, blushing brightly. Her blood filled the air, and I sucked in a deep breath of it. If her eyes didn't do me in, her blood would. _That's odd. Normally it's the blood that captures me. Oh…hell._

I couldn't break our gaze then. And I tried…hard. I didn't want to see in her eyes the possibilities she was suddenly projecting, her guard let down, unbeknownst to her. A life with me... thrashing around in bed together…my hands all over her…sitting in front of a fireplace with wine glasses, and a huge diamond ring on her left hand…

And then the images were gone. She stepped away from me, breaking our hold and walking to the back of the car. I felt my chest begin to ache with need. _Need for what? Blood? Her?_

"So, are you here for a while then?" Her voice broke through my thoughts, and her block was back firmly in place. I felt the disappointment flood me inside and I narrowed my eyes, trying to read her again. "Perhaps. It would seem that my _brother_ is quite content with himself and his… _surroundings_ these days, and has no real need of me. Still, I like the view here. And what fun would it be if I left my brother to enjoy this town alone?" I wondered if she could hear my hidden meaning in my words. Meredith, she was not. But she seemed just as perceptive sometimes, so I was sure she would pick up on what I was really saying to her.

She smiled, a thought occurring to her then. "I see what you mean," she said smugly. _Maybe she _did_ understand me._

I chuckled lightly then. "Do you?" And she bent her head down to look at her shoes again. I hated when she hid her eyes from me. Before I could think, I stepped closer to her, a mere breath away. She looked back up at me, her eyes boring into mine.

That same sensation came over me…the sudden urge to touch her…anywhere.

I picked my hand up and laid it on her cheek, waiting for her to close her eyes. Maybe she would hit me, maybe not. But I risked it, just to feel her smooth skin on my fingertips.

She closed her eyes and turned her face into my wrist. Taking in my scent, I assumed. I could smell the blood begin to flow where I touched her and closed my eyes as well.

This was just like the time I kissed her behind Vickie Bennett's house. It was sweet, and I didn't want it to ever end. Of course I knew it had to before I did something foolish…like _feed,_

As soon as the thought came into my head, my canines extended, and put a hand into the hair at the nape of her neck. I grabbed a handful of hair and began to tilt her head back slightly…

"Get your hands off of her!"


	4. Chapter 4

_**Cliffhangers! You know I love 'em!**_

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

If I didn't know his voice so well, I wouldn't have guessed it was him.

But yes, here he was, Matthew Honeycutt…my savior…again.

The cruelest sense of déjà vu. I kinda wondered when fate was going to start being original with me for a change.

I felt Damon's hand in my hair, gently pulling my head back, and then he was gone…and I'm sure he was holding a handful of my hair. _That_ was gonna leave a mark…or a bruise…or something. When I finally opened my eyes again, Damon was across the clearing, his chest heaving, and Matt was right in between us. "What the hell is going on here?" Matt screamed at Damon so loud I had to cover my ears.

Damon relaxed out of his crouch slowly and simply smiled. To anyone else it would've looked like he was totally at ease. I knew better. The look in his eyes was a myriad of emotions. There was anger, definitely anger. But there was amusement, and desire, and most prominent was hunger. "Mutt…" he said, nodding in his nonchalant way. "So good to see you, too."

Matt's fists clenched and out of pure instinct I threw myself onto him, wrapping my arms around him. _Yeah right, like _you_ could stop him from charging Damon._ But miraculously his shaking stopped, and his breathing slowed. He looked back over his shoulder at me. "Are you ok?"

I couldn't find my voice at the moment and just nodded. _What the hell just happened? Seriously?_ "He didn't hurt me…" Matt shut me up with a huff. I let him go instantly. "What? You don't believe me?"

Matt spun around and looked me sharply, spinning me this time and touching the spot at the nape of my neck that was suddenly on fire. "You wanna rethink that statement?"

I glared at him, throwing his arm away from me. "It was a reflex. He didn't mean to-"

"Sure he didn't."

Damon chuckled softly from where he stood, arms crossed, leaning against a tree. Matt and I both turned to him. "I could leave you two alone if you'd like…" He cocked his head to the side and looked me up and down before turning his gaze to Matt. "Of course, judging from her expression I think she'd much rather be here with me, _Mutt_." The way he said Matt's name was pure disgust, like it was a rancid food he had just eaten.

Instantly Matt was in rage mode again, and I laid my hand on his arm to steady him again, praying it would work. I knew how strong Matt was, but it was nothing compared to Damon. He took a deep breath now, and turned back to me. "Let's go."

"No," I whispered. I saw Damon's smile from the corner of my eye. _Damnit, would you stop that!?_ I let my block down momentarily for him to hear me and he smirked.

Matt narrowed his eyes at me and leaned in to me. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly."

I picked my head up and looked him right in the eyes. "I said no."

Matt looked as if he would either hit me or throw up and I instinctively took a step back. "I'm not leaving here without you."

I squared my shoulders as he reached for me, dodging him in the process. "I think you are."

His chest starting heaving again and I rolled my eyes, placing my hands on his massive chest to stop him again. _Yeah, this is getting old. When are people gonna start trusting me with myself?_ "Matt, stop it. You've protected me all my life and I think I'm old enough now to start protecting myself."

He crossed his arms over his chest and I moved my hands to his arms. _Whoa, when did Matt turn into the Hulk?_ He started breathing heavily through his nose and finally closed his eyes and threw his head back. I decided he wasn't gonna hit me after all…not tonight, anyways. But maybe when he calmed down a little…

"Bonnie…" His tone was exasperated. _He's really gonna let me _win? "I'm going up to the boarding house to get the girls. You have _exactly_ that long to kiss your demon stalker goodbye." He glanced at Damon where he stood and then looked back at me. "And I don't mean that literally."

Damon smirked at him again. And then he started to walk casually over to me. I damn near choked.

He looked down at me, smiling wickedly. "I don't think we need to be so…final this evening, do you _cara_?" He spoke directly to me, waving Matt off with a flick of his wrist in the most dismissive action I had ever seen. My eyes widened at the gesture and he laughed softly. "I didn't think so." He turned to where Matt stood only steps away, arms still crossed. "You can go now. And please, don't hurry back on my account."

They were toe to toe now, and I could swear I was about to hyperventilate. Matt's eyes flashed to me, and I nodded to him. He spoke slowly and deliberately. "I am a phone call away Bonnie. I have my cell right here." He patted the pocket of his letterman's jacket. "I'll be right back."

He jogged off toward the boarding house. _Thanks Matt…_that _pace will give me _loads_ of time._ I looked back at Damon and he walked to stand directly in front of me. "We don't have to say goodbye, do we _cara_?" His eyes swept over me and my heart started racing again. He smiled and put his hand on my cheek. His hand trailed around to the back of my neck, and the temperature almost shocked me. But it felt too good to push him away, so I left it there. I shook my head, and his head bent down to mine.

The feeling of his cool lips on mine was exhilarating. Without thinking, I wove my fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, pulling him into my kiss. He didn't stop. He didn't push me away like I had expected him to. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I felt his breathing start to speed up. I knew he could probably stop breathing altogether so this was not about survival.

This was about need; it was about want. And he wanted _me_.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

_Damn him._

They were the only thoughts that came to mind. In truth I was a little grateful that Mutt had stopped us before I kissed her. I wasn't sure how far it would go this time, with no one around. But the fact that I had hurt her, my Bonnie, was unforgiving.

In my wanting her, I had clutched her hair, the silky strands just at the nape of her neck. And then that _ragazzo_ grabbed me before I had a chance to let go. I felt the strands of her fiery curls in my hand when I regained my balance across the clearing from them, and I was immediately disgusted, both with myself for causing her pain and indisputably with _him,_ just for being here at all. I let them drop from my hands before she saw them. No doubt it would sting when she touched the spot from where they had been ripped from her head. The only promise I was ever going to be able to make to her, and _Mutt_ made me break it.

He should consider himself lucky I didn't break his neck right then and there.

I stood out of the crouch I had lowered myself into out of reflex and smiled. Bonnie's eyes widened at me, and then she relaxed as well when she caught my glance at her. Naturally, Mutt had assumed I had hurt her. I had to laugh inside at the thought that I would ever hurt this fragile little creature he now stood in front of. And then I felt the anger start to creep in. He was keeping me from something I wanted… _Yes, I wanted her._ I was sure she saw that on my face when her expression softened toward me. I felt the desire rolling off her body in waves, and I almost threw my head back and laughed out loud.

He actually asked her if she was ok.

And he didn't believe her when she said she was.

I almost felt like the third wheel for a moment, and I asked them if I should leave them alone. The look Bonnie gave me was pleading. So I recanted my statement almost immediately.

It was obvious he wasn't going to leave us alone. Normally that would be fine, but frankly, he was beginning to piss me off. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I had been holding when I heard her tell him she wouldn't be going with him. Yes, she wanted to stay with me. But as much as I wanted her to be with me, I knew it wouldn't last. Someone would always be in my way. And Bonnie was too sweet to actually let me kill her friends.

I waited, and finally we were alone again. I went to her, intending to only ease the pain she felt where I had pulled her hair out in a clump, but she looked up at me then, her soft brown eyes wide. I couldn't tell what she was thinking with her blocking me indefinitely. But the look in her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

"We don't have to say goodbye, do we _cara_?" I looked her up and down and her breath hitched in her throat. She shook her head and I bent my head to press my lips to hers.

Her lips molded to mine, and I pulled her into my arms, enveloping her in my embrace. Thoughts circled in my head of things I could do with her, and I found myself wanting more.

With a shock I realized I couldn't remember why I had ever walked away from her. My hands traveled up her back, and then one slipped down to her behind. I heard her gasp, but she didn't push me away, nor did she stop kissing me. She actually melted further into me…and I thought I might combust.

I felt her hands grab the lapels of my jacket, trying to pull me into her and I growled low in my throat. "Bonnie-" I tried to whisper into her mouth to stop and I froze.

I felt her tongue press into my opened lips, and they parted further naturally, inviting her in. I had to stop this before it went too far. _I can't…I have to…_But I couldn't remember my next thought. I felt like I was watching this scene take place from outside my body. I was not Damon Salvatore, the powerful five hundred year old vampire destined to take this girl's life.

I was Damon Salvatore, the man falling head over heels for Bonnie McCullough.

_Damn._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Pretty sure this will be the last chapter in this story…**_

_**Gotta keep y'all wanting more don't I? **_

_**And I think the next one might be a little different. Like perhaps them…just in a different situation. You'll see!**_

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I tried to push the feelings out of my mind…with no luck at all.

So one could only imagine my irritation at the one who stood before me, asking so many questions…I never realized he knew so many words.

"So when are you leaving?" Stefan's voice grated on my nerves normally, but my annoyance with him – which grew immensely with every passing minute – was starting to wear my patience _very_ thin today. "I need to know, Damon."

I lounged on the branch as if it were a chaise lounge and raised an eyebrow at him. "And why, may I ask, is it so important to you, little _brother_?" Those little boys that always asked for a puppy when they were little… now I understood why.

Stefan was crouched across from me on another branch. Though the sky was as black as night we could see each other perfectly. And I found myself wishing he would just fall already and give me the amusement I was craving so badly. _No, not amusement…there was something more pressing calling my attention._

I had spent every night with Bonnie since I had kissed her in the clearing. In some form, at least. She would never invite me into her parents' house, and with good reason. The last thing they needed was a hungry vampire lurking in their home without their knowledge. So instead, she would either sit by her window and talk with me, occasionally leaning out to brush her lips across my own, or she would go out on her back patio and play with her new dog or something equally trivial. I assumed it was so that she didn't look like she had lost her mind when she was speaking to me in the shadows. Her parents never came to check on her which was nice. _Now why couldn't her hover-happy friends oblige her the same courtesy?_

I looked over at my brother, still staring at me, still expecting an answer. Would it be totally juvenile to roll my eyes at him? Instead I just stared at him with the indifferent expression he loathed until he turned away, letting out a sharp breath. _When will you ever learn that you cannot win with me?_

He heard me and his head snapped back to glare at me. I laughed quietly. "Look Damon," he said, standing and balancing himself on the branch. "You have no idea the damage you could cause here if you stay."

My eyebrows went up in surprise. "Oh? With whom? Elena? You? _Bonnie_?" I couldn't help licking my lips when I said her name.

I just barely missed Stefan's lunge at me when he smacked right into the large oak's body. I fell off my branch, landing perfectly on my feet, laughing hysterically. Stefan landed in front of me seconds later, clearly angrier than I had seen in a while. The look on his face amused me, and I laughed aloud again. He grabbed my arms just above my elbows and my laughing stopped immediately. "Are you absolutely certain of what you're doing right now, _brother_?" I narrowed my eyes at him, and he let go, stepping back an inch.

"You didn't…?" I didn't have to ask what he meant; it was obvious what my reaction to her name must have meant to him.

I chuckled. "What would it matter to _you_? You have your little beloved. Surely you could allow me some…fun." Stefan sucked a deep breath in again. "Does that really give you as much relief as you think it does? Cause let me tell you, there's only one thing that elicits that reaction in me, and it's not breathing…." I licked my lips again and turned away from him.

I whipped around just as he flew to my back in his feeble ambush attempt, grabbing his throat and shoving him back toward the tree, where he collided with the oak and made a deafening crunch. We both settled into our animalistic crouch and I was about to attack when I heard her.

_"Damon…"_

Instantly I stood erect, cracking my neck and looking at my brother, still poised to attack. "You can relax. I'm done with you."

And before he could react again, I was flying towards her voice in my crow form, leaving St. Stefan to seethe alone.

* * * * * * *

I rounded the corner to her parents' home and stopped short, landing silently in a nearby tree. If crows could roll their eyes I would've. _Mutt_ stood at her door, talking quietly with her. I could hear them perfectly from where I was.

"Bonnie, I just want you to be careful," Mutt was pleading with her. I had no idea about what, but I would probe her thoughts. _Damn, still blocked._ So it was off to Mutt then.

_Ah, he was pleading about _me. I chuckled in my crooning voice, still perched in the tree outside her room. She glanced in my direction and I was almost certain she saw me. But she looked back at Mutt and grabbed the curls on the side of her head, pulling it back into a ponytail. She was stressed. I didn't like that.

I liked even _less_ that it was Mutt who was making her upset.

Matt huffed loudly and turned away from her. He turned back sharply and looked her up and down, with a poor try at a seductive look in his eyes. I heard him think about kissing her…and I formed myself into my human form instantly, still holding my place in the tree, but in my crouch. I would rip his heart out if he touched her, and I knew Bonnie would not be very happy with me if I murdered her precious friend. So I waited, and his thoughts turned friendly again, with no trace of romantic feelings.

My Power was a beautiful asset.

He started to walk away from her and got as far as his car when he turned back to her again. "I won't stop, Bonnie. You should know that." She simply nodded and walked into the house, closing the door behind her.

When she reached her bedroom she gasped at the sight of me waiting by her window. She looked hopeful that I had missed her altercation. She lowered her head, knowing without my saying so, that I had witnessed more than she had thought.

"Hi," she whispered.

I fought the urge to go to her and envelope her in my arms. If I did, she would know undoubtedly the power she held over me. I couldn't let that happen. So I stayed planted firmly where I was. "Hello,"

I said, nodding toward her the way I normally did. Surely there was nothing different about that…was there?

She looked at me then, narrowing her eyes slightly and then her expression brightened. "You're not mad?"

"No," I shrugged. "Is there a reason I should be?"

She pursed her lips and looked away. Bonnie was not overly glamorous like Elena. She wasn't tall and gracefully slender like Meredith. Bonnie had a beauty all her own. Her bright red curls begged to be touched, and her chocolate eyes were full of passion, no matter what the subject. She had a sprinkle of freckles just across her nose, and they danced when she laughed. No, I was not falling for Bonnie McCullough. I was plummeting head first into a relationship I knew I could never have. _Damn, damn, damn._ I could feel the temper tantrum threatening to surface and had to chuckle.

"What's funny?" she asked, and I was suddenly aware of her presence again. She looked down at her clothes to make sure there was nothing out of place and then looked back at me. Her eyes called to me, and I could hear the thoughts bubbling up in her mind again.

The wall was down, and she knew it.

She saw us holding hands and walking through the park. She saw us under the mistletoe at a Christmas party somewhere. And then it switched and we were in bed again, rolling around like animals. I felt a tug in my gut and had to look away from her. These were all things she had wanted me to see, and all things I could never give her.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I was in love with him.

Damon Salvatore had my heart, and I wanted him to know it. I let my guard down just enough to show him my thoughts, and my hopes for the future.

He broke our gaze and looked out toward the backyard of my parents' house. "I'll wait for you in the shadows," he said, and then he was gone.

I grabbed the first sweatshirt I touched and ran downstairs. "Bonnie?" My mother called from the kitchen. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

"What? Oh, I needed to take the dog out. He's been inside all day. Poor thing probably needs to mark a tree or something," I said, totally out of breath. I called for my little poodle and rushed him outside. I swear if dogs could roll their eyes, he would've at me.

I said a silent prayer that my mother didn't press the issue and let me by her, practically hitting the door as it closed on my way out. I strained my eyes, looking for him in the darkness. My dog sensed something was wrong and immediately started barking toward the trees that lined the back fence. "Shut up! I swear I'll drive you to the pound first thing in the morning if you don't stop it!" My fierce whisper didn't do much good, but soon my protective puppy was laying on his side. If I didn't know better I would swear he was playing dead for me…only I didn't tell him to.

Damon stepped out of the shadows, and I knew he had used his Power on my dog. "Is he…?"

Damon shook his head slowly. "I just told him to relax a little. Nothing more."

The look on his face worried me. He looked…well, _angry_. I knew he had seen me with Matt on my front porch. And though he couldn't hear _me_ most of the time, he could hear Matt's thoughts. I had seen the look in his eyes, and I could only imagine the thoughts that Damon must've heard. It made me want to find Matt and slap him upside his beautiful blond head. "So, how was your evening?" _Small talk, Bonnie? Is that what you've been reduced to?_ I scolded myself quietly. We had come so far since the kiss in the clearing and now I felt like I didn't know what to say to him.

"It was…educational." He didn't relax his tight posture. I sighed quietly.

"Can we just get this over with then? I don't like being so far away from you." It was true. He stood at least five feet away from me, his arms crossed in front of him, and he was just staring at me.

"I think right now this is best, _cara_." _Well at least he still _seems_ interested. He called me by his pet name for me._ "I came to say goodbye."

My eyes snapped up to his face in shock. "What?"

Damon sighed now and took a step toward me. He stopped within arms reach and beckoned me forward. I stumbled and almost fell into his arms. When I looked up he was inches away and instinct took over.

If this was my last night with him I was damn well gonna enjoy it.

I steadied myself on my feet and locked my arms around his neck. Yes, he could probably kill me, but right at that moment I had no fear. If he killed me I would die a happy girl, in the arms of the man I loved. I lifted my head and crushed my lips against his in a total panic. He grabbed my arms and pushed me back to look at me. I could see his canines extending and braced myself for the impact.

Thoughts swirled in my head. The first time I had met Meredith and Elena, the night we tried the spell when Elena had seen Stefan the first time, meeting Damon. And then my thoughts took a different turn, and I saw myself like Damon, cold and undead, but powerful. More powerful than I had ever imagined. And we were _together_.

I hadn't realized I had closed my eyes, but suddenly I felt wind in my face like I had stuck my head out of a moving car window. I couldn't open them if I tried. It felt like I was flying, and I had to wonder if I was dead already and maybe I was flying to heaven now. When the moving stopped abruptly, my eyes fluttered open and I realized we were in the clearing again, and Damon stood exactly where he had that first night I had called to him.

His expression was terrifying, and I felt myself cowering away from him. He _looked_ like a vampire at that moment and I was truly afraid for my life. I tried not to show it and failed miserably.

He was at my side in less than a heartbeat and I stopped breathing. Damon's hand snaked into the curls at the back of my head and he smiled. "I meant what I said, _cara_. I will not hurt you." He spoke standing just to my right and I couldn't move, turn my head, nothing. I was frozen in shock. The most I could muster was a small nod. I wanted to believe him, but he was more frightening tonight than he had ever been. I found myself wondering why I hadn't fainted yet.

Damon started to chuckle and began to walk around me as he released my hair. He circled me once, twice, and then a third time before he stopped directly in front of me. "You have two choices, it would seem, Bonnie." His words and tone both prompted me to stare into his eyes, searching for answers that I knew would not be there. His eyes narrowed at me and I blinked furiously, trying in vain to stop the tears that threatened.

"You can either let me go, or join me."


	6. Chapter 6

_**My fans have spoken…and some are pretty pissed about me leaving things where I did. **_

_**So without further adieu…**_

**6**

_**Bonnie**_

I couldn't see anything.

I couldn't hear anything…hell, I couldn't even _smell_ anything.

As far as I could tell it was pitch black all around me. I tried to reach out in front of me and felt only air. _Ok…_So I put my hands behind me. Or at least I would've if I hadn't run into something soft…_Wait…is that…?_

I clenched my hand around…a blanket?

My eyes fluttered open and I realized I was in my room, on my bed, and fully clothed. _What the-_

And then the memories slammed into my head so hard my head started pounding and I had to hold my temples to keep my brain from exploding.

_ "You can either let me go, or join me." The words spilled out of his mouth as I stared at him in shock. He couldn't expect me to actually _join_ him…Really?_

_ "And what if I choose to join you?" I said through the tears that betrayed me and fell onto my cheeks. The thought of him leaving me now took the wind out of me. It took the _life_ out of me._

_ Damon laughed, but it wasn't cruel. It was almost endearing. "Ah cara," he said, and began his slow walk around me again. "I want nothing more than for you to be beside me forever," he said as he stopped just behind me, whispering in my ear and making my knees buckle a little. "But I will not force it on you. That is a decision you make on your own."_

_ I turned slightly to face him where he stood and found his lips inches from mine again. So I kissed him, lightly at first, then with growing intensity. I could feel his resolve start to fade, and when he turned me toward him and wrapped his arms around me, I knew what my answer was._

_ I broke the kiss long enough to pull my hair from my neck and expose my throat to him._

But that still didn't explain how I ended up in my room, on my bed. Until the thoughts flooded in full force again and I threw myself to the side, holding back an agonized scream.

_It didn't hurt when his teeth pierced my flesh. It stung at first, but when I felt him start to suckle my neck, it seemed almost _right_. I felt his arms tighten around me, and if I had been anyone else, I was sure he would have crushed me, draining every ounce of blood from my body. But as he finished he looked deep into my eyes. "Now…you."_

_ The dagger appeared out of nowhere. Ok, in truth, he probably had it in his jacket, knowing I would give in to him. I had no clue what to do when he cut a small slit in his jugular, pulling my head forward. "Give in to your instincts, Bonnie."_

_ And I did. _

_ I reached forward to place my hands on either side of his face and leaned in as he bent down to me. I kissed him and then turned his head to the side, trailing kisses to the spot where he had cut himself. I put my lips to his throat…and drank._

_ What seemed like hours later, he pulled me away, looking either dazed or lustful, and I stifled a giggle. _I_ had done that to _him_ for a change, and it felt good. He tilted his head back, took in a deep breath, and then looked back at me. His smile was genuine, and he licked his lips, eyeing me from head to toe. "Il mio uccello piccolo bello…" he whispered, and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "We will be together forever."_

_ My eyes widened at his words. Everything that I knew, everything that I wanted had changed. It was final. When I died in this life, I would awaken like him. It was just like I had seen it in my dreams. "Take me home."_

_ My words must have confused him, because he looked hurt and then his eyes went to his shoes. I pulled his face up to look at me and kissed him again. "I want to invite you in."_

_He had taken me back to parents' house, and carried me up the tree as though I weighed ten pounds, stopping momentarily at my window. I opened it, because I hadn't locked it in forever, and he deposited me on my feet, waiting. "Come in, Damon," I whispered. _

_ Damon ducked into the window and stood before me, a god in modern times. I could see him trembling, and though I didn't know why, I didn't ask. I figured he would tell me if he wanted to. He took my hand and walked me to the bed. We sat down and then he looked me deep in the eyes. "We can stop now, or continue to exchange blood. Either way, things will never be the same for you now. If you were to die tomorrow, I'm not sure I've given you enough of my blood to sustain your position in my world. So, we will need to continue to partake of each other for the Change to happen. Are you comfortable with that?"_

_ I nodded, and he pulled me close again, kissing me softly and then bending his head again to my throat._

So that explained why I was here in my room, on my bed, probably looking like Snow White when my eyes opened, with my hair all around my neck like a scarf. I got up slowly, not trusting my legs to carry me to the mirror and inspected myself carefully. I looked exactly the same, but I felt totally different. I turned to look at my puncture wounds which I thought would be noticeable even in the dark, but found nothing. I knew I hadn't dreamt it all, so I looked closer, leaning in toward the mirror.

There they were, just below my ear on either side of my neck.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I could still taste her sweet blood on my lips as I sat lounging in my favorite tree. I could smell the strawberries from her shampoo. And I wanted to see her again, but I knew I had to wait. Nothing was standing between me and the one I wanted more than anything, except death itself. But when her life here ended, her life with _me_ would begin. I felt the emotions stirring up inside me and closed my eyes, reveling in the euphoria of the moment.

I had given her the ultimatum I was given once before, and she had chosen to stay with me.

Had I not wanted to taste her so badly I may have kissed her longer. But the sweet scent of her blood called to me like a snake charmer to a cobra. I was more focused on her than I had ever been before. At least to her blood anyway. Her body was a different story altogether. The signals she had given were erotic and innocent all in the same manner. I saw the curve of her neck below her collar and while the bloodlust was there, the _want_ was creeping in slowly as well. I desired her; to touch her, to caress her, and to feel her in my arms just as much as I wanted her blood. All very new feelings, but still very, _very_, powerful.

I counted the moments she let me suckle at her slender throat. It felt like a lifetime. I heard her small gasp when I instructed her to take my blood, and the look on her face…disgust? But she agreed, and leaned into me, drinking swiftly. I chuckled lightly. Perhaps she thought I was leaving? In truth, I had told her I was, but I never actually _meant_ it. If she only knew the power she held over me. _I couldn't leave now…not even if I was tied to an airplane._ I laughed low at the stupid thought. The more time I spent with Bonnie, the more I felt like I spoke like her.

_Bonnie_…even thinking her name set my thoughts ablaze. Desire, hunger in every sense of the word, and the intense thirst of her blood had my mind reeling.

I had to be near her again.

* * * * * * *

I stopped just short of her house, resigning myself to my human form. She was sitting on the porch, wrapped in a thick blanket and I screeched to a halt when I noticed _Mutt_ at her side, his beefy arm around her shoulders.

And she was crying.

I hid myself in the shadows next to her house and let my head drop back to rest on the wall. I didn't want to _eavesdrop_, but clearly Bonnie had made her choice. Didn't that entitle me to hear what she had to say?

I didn't have to listen too hard, my trained ears could hear them both as if they were shouting.

"Matt, I know you're trying to protect me. But I don't need protecting." Her voice was small, like she expected to be reprimanded. I felt the bile rise in my throat thinking about it. _She's trying to convince him you're good for her…_

"Bonnie, I know you _think_ you know what you're doing, but let me prove to you why you're wrong-"

"No," and she stood. I could hear the porch swing stop and I knew she had risen to look at him. Her small frame was no match for his, but she had to overpower him _some_ way. "I'll be leaving in a few days. I need to get out of here. I _need_ to grow up, and I can't do that under everyone's watchful eyes. None of you think I can do it, but watch me prove it to you." And she turned on her heel and headed into the house.

I could hear her tiny footsteps as they stomped upstairs to her room. I would beat her there, so that she might feel like _everyone_ wasn't against her.

She gasped when she saw me leaning against the window frame. I opened my arms and she ran to me. My arms wrapped around her whole body, and I buried my face in her hair. "What is it, _rossa_? What has you so upset?"

"I'm leaving." I almost didn't hear her. I wouldn't have if I wasn't so attuned to her mood.

"What? Why?" I pulled her back to look into her eyes, searching for something, anything that would tell me what I needed to hear.

"Because I'm ready to start my life with you."

I sucked in a deep breath and looked around her room. "_Cara_, are you absolutely certain this is what you want?"

She nodded. "I chose you, Damon. And I want to be with you. We need to go somewhere nobody knows us."

I leaned down to kiss her and instead she turned out of my embrace, much to my chagrin. She walked over to the bedside table and pulled out a small, but sharp, letter opener. She turned to me slowly. "Come to me, Damon."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Ok…so not the last chapter! Gotta see where this takes me.**_

**7**

_**Damon**_

I walked quickly to her and took her hands in mine. "_Rossa_, I've already told you, this decision is yours. But you know what _I_ want." I growled low in my throat and she giggled, nodding slowly. "So, I heard Mutt downstairs..."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at me and sat on her bed, releasing my hands and crossing her arms across her chest. "Damon Salvatore!" she said, trying her best to yell at me in a whisper. "Were you _eavesdropping_?"

I had to chuckle as I joined her on the bed. "Now _cara_, have you forgotten who you're talking to?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion. "I can _hear_ you from Siberia. I don't _need_ to eavesdrop. I just happened by as he was leaving you on the porch."

Her sharp intake of breath made my eyebrows rise. _Surely she's not going to try to _keep_ this from me? As soon as her guard is down I'll know. _ She didn't speak, just simply stared at me. "What?"

Bonnie shook her head, trying to break her thoughts, or keep her ridiculous mind-block up, I couldn't tell which. "You'll be angry."

I tossed my head back lightly, trying to keep my composure together when I really just wanted to strangle that sorry excuse for a breathing creature… "Why would I be angry with you, _cara_? Did you promise to run away with _him_ instead? You know I'll find you and break his…legs. Simply a precaution, _amore,_ you understand." I saw her eyes widen at the thought of my harming Mutt, so I kept my tone light, but I could tell she saw through the façade.

Her head cocked to one side and she eyed me before she spoke, _judging my irritation_…? "He knows."

It took me a moment to realize what she was telling me. "He knows? Knows what exactly?"

"He knows we've exchanged blood. And he knows I want to be with you."

_Well, now that changes things, doesn't it?_ "And?" I really saw no harm in it, since it was inevitable anyway. We all knew she'd end up with me eventually. _Ok, so that may be a slight stretch there…But only Bonnie McCullough would find the first immortal creature to suck the life out of her and beg to be his queen. Yeah, I really needed to stop reading those god-forsaken novels Elena had brought back to the boarding house…_ "I don't see the exact harm in that."

Bonnie's eyes looked like they would jump out of their sockets. "Are you kidding me? He said he was going to look for you. That's why I was so surprised to see you here. I thought he had already found you."

I laughed out loud then and Bonnie jumped on my lap to cover my mouth, trying desperately not to alert her parents to my presence. I felt my eyes roll back in my head at her proximity. Her strawberry scent, her blood raging under her skin, her lips calling to me with unspoken words…

I came undone.

In a move so fast _I_ hardly saw it, I picked her up cradling her tightly in my arms, and had her underneath me, pinned to the bed before she took her next breath. I was not remotely thirsty at that moment. My desires were purely of a sexual nature, and though I had no idea where they resurfaced from after being buried for more than half a century, they were suddenly the most dominating entity in that small room.

I couldn't breathe. I had to hold on to every sense I could control. This was not one of them.

My mouth came down on hers roughly, and when I pulled away to look at her, I noticed blood on her lip. I didn't know if it was caused by her teeth or my own, but I bent down again and licked the corner of her mouth where her blood had pooled. "So sweet," I breathed into her hair as my hand came up to her face to caress her cheek. Every fiber of my being expected her to push me away. I should have known by now that she wanted me as much as I wanted her, and I gasped as I felt her leg move to rest around my waist.

I would have to move quickly if I was going to get out of this situation that I had so foolishly started. _But she feels so _good! I tried to reason with myself. _Just one more kiss, one more touch, and I'll leave. I'll go ahead and wait for her to meet me wherever we decide to go…_ I heard her moan as my mouth found her throat, and my canines, having a mind all their own, began their trek to freedom. _No! I want to enjoy her a little while longer_. Miraculously, they listened, and began to retract. I chuckled against her throat, and she jumped slightly, effectively pushing her upper body into my chest, and I felt my fists grab the blanket her back was resting on. _I will not lose control_, I chanted in my head over and over until I felt safe to continue.

Her tiny lips came to rest just below my ear and she began to hum. I didn't care what she was singing, but the sensations it caused made my insides tingle. I hadn't felt this way in a long time, and I wanted it to continue for the rest of my existence.

I pulled away slowly, regretting it as soon as her body was no longer connected to mine. "_Rossa_, if I don't leave right now, I'm afraid of what your parents may find should they walk in here."

Bonnie looked as though she was unsure of what I meant, but agreed nonetheless. "Damon…" she whispered, and I silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"You do what you have to here. I'll wait to hear from you so we can decide where to go. Rest assured, Miss McCullough, I will not leave without you."

I was on my feet and out her window before she could sit up. I would go to the boarding house and wait. Time was on my side, though not on hers, and I knew impatience would win out.

When I got close enough, I changed into my human form from the crow form I favored. My brother and his betrothed were inside his room talking. _Couldn't hurt to listen this time, right?_

"Stefan," _Elena_. "I know you say we can trust that he'll be gone soon, but I'm not sure we can really afford that luxury. Are you?"

"She's right, Stefan." _Meredith?_ "I've heard the way Bonnie talks about him when she thinks we're not paying attention. It's scary the hold he has on her." I scoffed quietly at her. _The hold _I_ have on _her? Clearly they had no idea.

"You have nothing to worry about." _Not Stefan…_Mutt. My blood began to boil at the sound of his puny little annoying voice and I had to hold myself back from busting through the window right then. "She won't leave. Not to follow that maniac. He'll hurt her, and she knows it. The fear I see in her eyes when I'm with her and she thinks he may be lurking around-"

I stepped into the room then, not exactly sure how I had made it over to the door to the room from where I was perched on the roof, but whatever. "Ah, _Mutt_," I said, pure disgust dripping from my voice. "So very nice to see you again." The sarcasm came too easily when Mutt was in my vicinity.

I saw the muscles in Mutt's jaw tense as I addressed him and I smiled. He stood, walking over to stand directly in front of me, glaring coldly. "I thought I told you you were no longer welcome in Fell's Church?"

I drew my eyebrows together, feigning confusion, and looked back at him, shaking my head. "Mmm, no. I don't seem to recall that. But you're welcome to threaten me again if you'd like. I could use a hearty laugh today." I smiled again, and felt the anger coming from Mutt's body.

Stefan stepped between us, in the small space where Mutt's feet were inches from mine and nudged Mutt back a few paces. He kept his eyes on me, but left his hand at his side. _Smart boy_, I spoke to his mind and he nodded. "Damon, you have to understand the concern we all feel-"

My hand came up to silence him, my eyes still trained on Mutt. "I can assure you, _brother_, I have not harmed the little witch."

Mutt tensed up again, and I cocked my head to the side, narrowing my eyes at him. He huffed loudly. "You have no respect for her whatsoever-"

"Oh I do, I just don't care to reveal the pet names I call her during intimate moments…" I let that thought sink in for a moment, a slow smile spreading across my face. Mutt tensed even tighter. I couldn't stop myself. "You're going to give yourself an aneurysm if you don't stop that, _Mutt_. It's bad for your blood. And I would know."

Mutt lunged for me, barely missing my arm as he flew across the room toward me. I laughed at his feeble attempt to strike me, and Elena and Meredith stood holding each other in the corner of the room, gaping at the scene that was taking place mere feet from them. I glanced at Elena, her eyes wide and beseeching at the same time. _Just go, Damon_, I heard her plead as our eyes met. _Leave Bonnie in peace._

_I don't understand you. First you beg me to save her, and then you want me to leave her. Which is it?_

_ Damon, she's not strong enough for you._

_ Neither were you._

Elena's expression changed, and she looked…murderous. "You didn't!"

I smiled again, bowing as I would have back in my day. "You will never know."

"What?" Meredith shrieked from Elena's side. "What didn't he do?"

"They exchanged blood!" Mutt yelled from where Stefan had him pinned. Stefan nodded his confirmation at the girls and they all turned to stare at me.

"Damon, how could you?!" Elena was quick, and I felt the sting of where her hand connected with my face. She was about to strike again when I caught her wrist.

"Now, now, Miss Gilbert." I looked her deep in her eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately, reminding her of how deadly I actually was. "That's one. You will not strike me again. Engaged to a Salvatore or not, you are still an insignificant human. Don't ever forget that."

Elena's breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened again. "Damon, she's my best friend."

_And I vow to you I won't hurt her. _

Elena glanced at Stefan, who nodded at her, and she looked back at me. She said nothing else as I released my hold on her wrist and she took her place beside Meredith again.

Meredith, however, was not so quick to let it go. "Damon, if you so much as _breathe_ incorrectly around her-"

I glared at her, using my Power to hold her tongue. She must've felt it, as her expression became frustrated. "I understand your concern, truly I do." I started pacing around the room, making my way to the window and sitting on the sill. "But please be aware that anything that has transpired between Bonnie and I has happened of her own accord." There were gasps throughout the room.

I laughed and leaned back, falling out of the window to the ground below.


	8. Chapter 8

_**My apologies for leaving you all hanging…This was being written just before Thanksgiving, and we all need time to rest during the 4 day weekend, no?**_

_**At any rate…what started as a one-shot now becomes a full story. I'll keep writing as long as I get reviews to tell me to continue. So I guess their fate is in your hands…? LOL!**_

**8**

_**Bonnie**_

If I didn't stop pacing I was gonna burn a hole in my mother's carpet.

There was really no reason to be nervous…except for the fact that I was leaving in the middle of the night, with my vampire beau who was hated by all the people in my life that mattered, and leaving everything I knew behind.

Sure, no reason to be nervous at all.

A light rap at the door made me jump, and I cursed at myself internally for picking such a stupid time to leave. I opened the door, looking into the living room and lifting the heavy duffel bag over my shoulder before turning back to the door.

The duffel hit the floor with a muted thud.

Matt stood before me, arms crossed, and the rest of my friends were at the curb waiting.

_Damn._

"Hey," I whispered shakily. "What are you guys doing here?"

Matt grabbed my elbow and pulled me outside, closing the door softly behind me. "Trying to save your life." The look in his eyes was not friendly and I wasn't sure if it was meant for me, or the one he was really looking for.

I closed my eyes, fully intending to come up with a response, but all I could see was the last time Damon and I were together. What _could've_ happened…I felt the shudder go through my body and I opened my eyes in an attempt to regain my balance, which did not go unnoticed. I heard the girls gasp behind Matt, and Stefan's quiet growl made me look around me, praying Damon hadn't shown up yet. "I'm sure I have no clue what you're talking about."

Matt let out a loud breath and narrowed his eyes at me. _Yup, he's gonna hit me this time._ He didn't. Instead he pulled me into a tight hug, burying his nose in my hair. "I can't let you do this, Bonnie." His voice was so low I could barely hear him. "I can't let you go."

I looked up at him, expecting to make my case known, and he totally caught me off guard. His mouth came down onto mine viciously, and his arms snaked themselves even tighter around me, lifting me up to him. I heard him whimper as his tongue sought entrance into my mouth.

What surprised me even more was my reaction to him.

My hands automatically wove into his hair, pulling him into me. His kiss was not careful and I wasn't afraid his teeth would hurt me. I just let myself _feel_, and the feelings in my heart and in places I didn't recognize burned in my veins, like a shot of heroin. This was not like kissing Damon. Damon's kisses were full of want and of lust.

Kissing Matt was pure _need_.

With a shock, I pulled myself away from Matt's face, but couldn't break his hold on my body. I looked to his car and saw that our audience was now gone. _Had I imagined they were there?_

"Uh, Matt…" I motioned toward the ground, in hopes he would release me. He just looked at me, his bright blue eyes resembling pools of ocean water. They swirled and tumbled like the tide and I had to look away, clearing my throat.

Matt finally set me on my feet and looked at me again, but his expression was painful to see. "I had to…I had to try." He looked down at his feet, kicking some of the small pebbles in front of him on the driveway. "Bonnie, you have to know-"

I put my hand up to stop him. "Matt, I have no clue what that was, and you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to do that-"

Before I could finish, Matt picked me up again, kissing me with ten times the passion of the kiss before. I felt him lift me into his arms again, and gasped into his mouth when I felt one of his hands go down my back and past my behind, lifting one leg to rest around his waist, and followed with the other. How many times after he and Elena had broken up had I imagined this exact scene playing out in my head, only to have every hope dashed when he either spoke of Elena or looked at me and mentioned how he felt like I was like his little sister? I wanted to pull away. I wanted to tell him I didn't feel that way about him anymore. I wanted to _not_ like it so much… The way his hands curved around my thighs, his masculine smell overpowering me the way…

I snapped my head back, effectively breaking the kiss, and pushing on his shoulders in my feeble attempt to make him drop me. He looked at me, not saying a word, and then dropped my legs slowly. He took a few steps back, his eyes still holding mine, and sighed. I wished I could hear what he was thinking. "Matt," I reached out to put my hand on his chest. His heart was beating so fast I imagined it bursting out of his chest. "What are you thinking?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I don't want to lose you."

"_Lose me_? Why would you think something like that?"

"Easy. Look what happened to Elena when she hooked up with Salvatore." His eyes bore into mine again, and the heat behind them was unmistakable. "Now _you_ go and hook up with his _brother_… How could I _not_ think I was losing you?"

Before I could talk myself out of it, my arms were around Matt's waist again, and my head was resting on his chest. "Matt, you will _never_ lose me. I will always be your little sister."

I felt his hands release my lower back where they had come together and one finger came up to my chin, lifting my head to look at him. "You were never my little sister, Bonnie. You've always been more…"

This kiss was sweet. His lips caressed mine and slowly his tongue pushed them apart, taking ownership of my mouth. He wasn't rushed, and didn't speed anything up, but I could hear our heartbeats increase as the kiss deepened. My hands went back up to his hair, and I pulled him into me. I knew this was wrong, especially since I was preparing to leave with Damon tonight, but as far back as I could remember, I had wanted Matt Honeycutt to kiss me the way Elena used to describe their kisses. Best friends rule be damned, this was better than I could have ever imagined.

When Matt finally broke away from me, he did not immediately open his eyes. He didn't say anything. He shrugged his shoulders, shoved his hands back into his pockets and turned away from me. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked at me over his shoulder, his soft words taking me by total surprise.

"I love you, Bonnie."

* * * * * * *

Surely I had heard him wrong. Matt Honeycutt did _not_ say he loved me as he walked away from me for what could be the last time. And I damn sure wasn't lying face down on my bed now, bawling my eyes out.

I felt a cool hand pull my curls from in front of my face and I let out a low grunt before pulling them back.

Damon laughed softly, picking me up like a rag doll and pulling me onto his lap. "Now _rossa_, what has you so upset? I thought you were going to wait for me downstairs."

I nodded slowly against his chest. "I was. I did…" I felt his body stiffen. "I had…company."

I didn't have to say any more. "_Stefan_…"

His tone was disgusted. I had only heard him say his brother's name once, and it was under totally different circumstances. Then it was out of concern, this time…I was sure it was the complete opposite.

I felt him try to put me back down onto the bed and threw my arms around his neck, trying to solder myself to him so he couldn't move. In any other situation I never would've been able to hold Damon here with me. He must've sensed that I needed him not to overreact, cause he calmed down quickly and pulled me tighter into him. "_Cara_, were they all here?"

"Um, I think so. I saw them, and then…I…looked again and they were gone. All except for…Matt." I turned my head slightly to look at him, but his face was expressionless. "But I think they know I was leaving. They saw my duffle…"

Damon nodded, not saying a word, but looking out the window. His silence was driving me nuts. "Damon…" I sat up straighter, pulling his face to mine. "It's ok. They didn't react the way I thought they would. They didn't say _anything_, really."

Damon looked at me then, narrowing his eyes slightly, and then smiled. "Well then, why are we still here?"

My eyes bulged in shock. "Seriously?" I tried to keep my voice down. No need to alert my parents at such a late hour.

He nodded again. "Let's go see my _brother_."

* * * * * * *

I couldn't help but fidget in my seat. The leather seats in Damon's Ferrari smelled so strongly of him I had to close my eyes before I actually passed out. But I was so on edge with what we were about to do that I was sure there was no way I wasn't already sweating bullets.

If we didn't hurry up I was going to go absolutely crazy.

"Damon," I finally opened my eyes and looked over at him. "Why don't we just go now? Do we really have to stop and talk with everyone?"

He reached down and took my hand in his, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it softly. "Ah, Bonnie…" He took a long sniff of my wrist and I shuddered under his touch. "You've already agreed to go away with me, so there's no question that we _will_ leave tonight. I just want there to be no doubt in their minds that _you_ were the one who chose this. I want them to know you chose _me_."

There was no mistaking his words. _Them_ knowing wasn't as important as _Matt_ knowing. I rolled my eyes and looked away, staring out the window.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

The smell of Bonnie in my car was invading every pore of my body. Her blood was just as sweet, and I would have to taste her soon. It had been far too long since I had taken her blood, and I could feel the effects of abstaining from her.

Tonight, however, I would enjoy a different kind of thrill.

* * * * * * *

_**Matt**_

Stefan and I stood in his tiny room at the boarding house. I told him everything, waiting for the verbal assault I was sure was coming from him. The girls? Anyone?

No one said a word.

"So, you told her you loved her." Stefan looked down at our feet, both of us with our hands in our pockets, shuffling nervously. "What did she say?"

I shrugged. _Why is that my answer for everything these days?_ "Nothing. She didn't say a word. But I guess I didn't really _let_ her."

Stefan raised an eyebrow at me. "What exactly does that mean?"

I looked at him with an exasperated expression. "I _walked away_."

Stefan leaned in to listen more closely. I knew he didn't need to; he heard me just fine. "I'm sorry, you did what?"

I lowered my head. "You heard me."

Stefan walked over to where the girls were sitting by the window. "They'll be here shortly." Elena said quietly, and Meredith nodded in agreement. "Please just listen to what they have to say."

Stefan nodded. I couldn't say anything. My mouth felt as dry as the Sahara in July.

We all heard the sound of the car doors below and took deep breaths.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Bet'cha didn't see that one coming, huh?**_

_**No worries, I want Damon and Bonnie together just as much as you all…So I don't plan on disappointing…**_

_**But I do plan on making it fun while we get there…**_

_**I've been having some issues getting my stuff uploaded. They got tutorials on troubleshooting anywhere? Anyone? Anyone?**_

**9**

_**Bonnie**_

I could feel the tension as soon as the car stopped at the boarding house. Damon stopped the car, turning it off and looking over at me. I had been very careful to think of other things as he drove. With us exchanging blood on a regular basis, he could hear my thoughts clearer, even with my block firmly in place. "Are you ready, _cara_?"

I shook my head furiously. "I don't wanna go in there."

I could feel him trying to probe my thoughts. It felt like a physical force and I cringed. I closed my eyes and felt the tension ease when his cool fingers touched my forehead. "I'm sorry, _rossa_. I'm not _trying_ to make this difficult for you. I just know you'd be happier if they knew."

I knew he was right. As much as I knew they would be angry with my decision, it was important to me that they _knew_. I nodded, opened my eyes, and opened the door.

It was quiet in the boarding house. Mrs. Flowers was always around somewhere, hiding in her room or anywhere else in the house. I found myself wishing she would just pop out sometimes and let us know she was still alive. _What a funny sight that would be!_ I giggled, and Damon looked at me crossly. Apparently he hadn't heard what I had been thinking.

We got to the door of Stefan's room, and Damon turned to kiss me. It was soft, but just enough to get my heart racing before he pulled away and grinned at me. _You did that on purpose,_ I said in my head. He nodded, smiling widely again, and pushed the door open.

Elena and Meredith were sitting on the window seat, both looking hopeful. Stefan stood by the door leading to the bathroom. Matt was by the closet with his back to us. He didn't turn, but I knew he could tell when we came into the room, and he stiffened noticeably.

Out of nowhere, Damon let out a guttural laugh, holding his stomach and throwing his head back. In what seemed like slow motion, Stefan's eyes snapped to Matt just as he turned toward us with the deadliest look in his eyes. I heard myself gasp as Stefan launched himself between Damon and Matt just in time to catch Matt's fist barreling toward Damon's face. I was sure it wouldn't have hurt him at all, but I still didn't want to see it.

I saw Elena's and Meredith's expressions turn to stone, their eyes wide, and Elena looked like she would hyperventilate. I could only imagine what my face looked like as I watched the boys in the middle of the room. When they finally broke apart, Damon stood straight, directly in front of me, his hands clasped at his waist. Stefan had Matt in the corner, his arms around Matt restraining him. "What the hell was that about!?" I heard my voice but didn't recognize it immediately. I felt like I was watching everything on a TV in front of me.

Damon looked over his shoulder at me, smiling sweetly. "I just find your friends comical. Hilarious, really." He turned back toward the group and shrugged lightly.

Matt huffed from his man-made prison in the corner. "Go to hell!" He yelled, still breathing heavily.

Damon chuckled. "Haven't you heard, _bambino_," he said, cocking his head to the side and looking Matt up and down, "they couldn't handle me there either."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

Clearly these people must all think I was as clueless as my _ragazzo_ brother.

I knew Bonnie had let that imbecile kiss her. She had even let him put his hands on her. Her body, which clearly had been given to me months ago, before she even realized it. I stood in the shadows, a witness to her betrayal. But I would not speak of it until she came to me. I wanted her to know she could tell me anything. Even though I could read her thoughts like a child's book, she still insisted on trying to block me. In time, she would learn that the more we exchanged blood, the more she became like me. And the closer in nature she was to my kind, the easier I could read her. I could smell her fear; I could almost taste her blood in my memories. Eventually, I would tell her, but for now she remained in the dark.

We pulled up to the boarding house and I could hear their thoughts as though they were standing directly in front of me. Elena and Meredith were babbling incessantly about the danger Bonnie was in with me and Stefan was being briefed on the encounter Matt swore he had with my Bonnie. _My Bonnie…_

I could feel the blood begin to boil underneath my cool façade. Soon it would not be so easy to fool Bonnie into thinking I was so indifferent to her and her interaction with these people. But of course I would deal with that when I had to.

"Are you ready, _cara_?" I asked sweetly.

She shook her head feverishly. "I don't wanna go in there."

I searched her mind while I could. She was scared, yes. But there was also something else. She didn't want them to be angry with her for her decision._ How odd…_ I saw her eyes were closed, deep in her thoughts and tried to calm her as I touched her forehead. "I'm sorry, _rossa_. I'm not _trying_ to make this difficult for you. I just know you'd be happier if they knew."

Finally she opened her eyes, nodded, and opened the door.

It was quiet in the boarding house. I heard Bonnie say something silently about Mrs. Flowers _popping out _of somewhere. _What a funny sight that would be!_ She giggled, and I looked at her questioningly. Apparently she thought I hadn't heard what she had been thinking. I just didn't have any clue why she would think something like that. I vaguely recalled her presence in the clearing but couldn't honestly bring anything else out of those distant memories.

We got to the door of Stefan's room, and I took Bonnie into the crook of my arm, kissing her and grinning. _You did that on purpose,_ she said in her head. I nodded, smiling widely again, and pushed the door open.

The girls sat over at the window, Stefan was piddling around with something by the bathroom door and Mutt stood with his back to us over by the closet. He didn't turn to us, and I saw his shoulders stiffen. _I will kill him if he touches her…_I heard him say in his head.

Before I could stop myself, I threw my head back, holding my stomach and laughing as loud as I could. I vaguely noticed Stefan's eyes go to Mutt as he turned toward us with what was supposed to come off as a threatening look. I heard Bonnie gasp as Stefan threw himself between us, trying to stop Mutt from hitting me. It would felt like no more than a butterfly's wing caressing my cheek, but I thought I'd humor him and stood still, my hands clasped together at my waist. I smiled at him, while my _brother_ wrapped his arms around Mutt, trying to still him. He looked like a caged animal and I found myself stifling a chuckle.

"What the hell was that about!?" Bonnie shrieked from behind me. I really hadn't remembered her being there. The whole room had disappeared during the would-be altercation moments ago, as I stood waiting for Mutt to give me the green light to rip him to shreds. I caught Stefan's glare as he heard my thoughts, and smirked at him, silently waving him off with my eyes. _I won't hurt him…for Bonnie._

I glanced over my shoulder at my Bonnie, smiling seductively. "I just find your friends comical. Hilarious, really." I turned back toward the group and shrugged.

Mutt huffed in the corner like he was running out of breath and I realized Stefan's grip on him must be fairly tight. He wasn't exerting himself in the least, but the strength of a human compared to ours…well, there really was no comparison at all. I smiled again just as Mutt spoke. "Go to hell!" he screamed.

I chuckled. _Wow, was that the best he could come up with? _"Haven't you heard, _bambino_," I said, cocking my head to the side and looking Matt up and down, "they couldn't handle me there either."

I heard Bonnie's heartbeat quicken, and I turned and caught her as her legs gave out beneath her. _Are you ok?_ I asked wordlessly.

Bonnie nodded. "I…wow…I don't know what just happened."

I smiled at her, licking my lips and staring down at her jugular which was now dancing deliciously under my gaze. We would have to leave soon. My thirst for her was threatening to overpower me. "Just one moment, _cara_." I turned back to the group, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her to me. "Well, as fun as this evening has been, my beloved and I need to be leaving. I'm sure she'll be in touch…eventually."

The growl that erupted from my _little brother's_ chest was comical, and I chuckled aloud. "Be serious, Damon!" he shouted from the corner where he still held Mutt.

"Oh I am," I said nonchalantly. "There's nothing more serious than I am right now."

Mutt struggled to get free and Stefan switched his hold on him, putting him in a choke-hold and turning his sounds to gurgling noises. "If you lay one hand on her, Salvatore-"

"You'll what, _parassita_?" I said, stepping away from Bonnie and crossing to stand in front of Mutt. I narrowed my eyes at him, challenging him to confront me. "What would ever make you think Bonnie needs you to _protect_ her? You will never be what I am for her. Not if you lived one hundred years, _cane._" I pulled my hand to rest on his cheek and slapped him lightly.

I chuckled, turning away from him and grabbed Bonnie's hand to leave.

* * * * * * *

_**I will be updating again soon, trust…**_

_**Now that I've figured out how to work ! LMAO!**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**So I'm trying to wrap this up in this chapter, but I think I'm enjoying this storyline WAY too much! Hopefully I will tie up all loose ends before I actually finish this. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I want to make sure everything is clarified for you all. **_

_**With that note…I'm sure you all know I don't own any of these characters but I sure do have fun playing with them!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**10**

_**Bonnie**_

6 months…

It had been 6 months since we had left Fell's Church. Elena and Meredith had called everyday for a while, but their calls had become fewer and more infrequent in the last few weeks.

I sat across from Damon in our new Sebring convertible, the salty coastal air whipping my hair around my face. We had fled to California, Malibu to be exact, where we were sure no one knew us. It was Damon's choice, of course. I had never been this far out West. I talked to my parents weekly, telling them about my new college courses. _Somehow_, Damon had gotten me into Pepperdine University. My mind still reeled at how much money he probably had to throw their way to get me in.

We were living as a young couple, me getting my degree in medicine, and him living as a rich Italian heir. Our house was phenomenal, up in the hills of Malibu. This was exactly what I had always wanted as a little girl, all without the vampire aspect. Beautiful home, fabulous and gorgeous man, and all the money I knew what to do with.

_The only thing missing was me._

None of this was me. Not the Bonnie McCullough from Fell's Church, Virginia, whose parents were one of the only couples that had stood the test of time. Most of my friends had parents who had divorced and remarried, and some were even living with other relatives. There was no sign of the Bonnie I _had_ been, just the Bonnie I saw every morning in the mirror now. I didn't know her, and though I didn't exactly hold any ill feelings toward her, I had to admit I didn't really _dislike _her.

She was beautiful, but because _Damon_ had made her. I could see parts of me in there, like when I laughed or when we were together at home alone. But when we were in public, I was _her_. The gorgeous woman who _deserved_ to be on Damon Salvatore's arm at the posh restaurants.

Damon cleared his throat, pulling through the huge wrought iron gate and up to our front door. "_Cara_," he said, reaching over and taking my hand. "I think we should talk about something."

"Hmm..?" I said, finally listening to him.

"Your friends." He looked out the windshield and then back at me. I could tell he was trying to find a way to say whatever it was he was thinking, but since we had been together, his demeanor had totally changed. He was no longer quick to jump into his angry mode. His most prominent desire was making me happy. "You miss them."

I noticed it wasn't a question, but more of a statement. "Yes," I whispered.

I felt his cool fingers touch my chin, bringing my face up to look at him. His fingers brushed my bottom lip that I hadn't noticed had jutted out in a pout. "You need to see them. And I'm willing to do what I can to make that happen."

My eyes widened at him, and I knew he meant all but _one_. He would never allow _Matt_ to see me. I had to be ok with that if I wanted to keep things pleasant between us. "Really? You would do that?"

Damon chuckled lightly. "Yes, but I have some…_requests_…Is that ok?" He took my hand and turned it over, kissing the inside of my wrist and sending chills up my spine.

I had to blink a few times before it sunk in. _What's the catch?_ But I didn't lower my block to let him hear it. I knew there would be stipulations to his 'gift'. One I automatically knew, but he did say _requests_, meaning there had to be more than one. "Um, ok? I know of one. But I'm not sure what else you could possibly-"

"Marry me."

* * * * * * *

I felt myself on the couch, Damon holding my hand, willing me to open my eyes.

I couldn't possibly have heard him right. There was no way he wanted to be my…

_Husband…_

I giggled softly at the word and opened my eyes to his deep black ones. He was so close and I could feel his breath coming in shallow spurts. He took one deep one and pulled me into his arms, breathing in my hair. "Did I scare you?" He laughed lightly.

"Scare me? No. But you did take me by total surprise." I sat up slowly, with his help. He sat next to me placing his hand lightly on my knee.

"So is that a yes?" His eyes twinkled and I tried to read his thoughts. I was finding it easier and easier with every blood exchange, but this time he was blocking me.

_Ah, ah, ah. Trying to read my thoughts now? _I finally heard from him, and I blushed, looking away from him.

"I just don't understand why you would want to marry me, Damon. It's not like I…"

Damon pulled me onto his lap, cupping my face in his hands. "Apparently I need to remind you what you do to me." He kissed me, slowly at first and then deepening the kiss. Normally he would stop at a certain point, but he kept going, his hand snaking up the back of my polo shirt and resting on the back strap of my bra. I felt my pulse quicken and when he broke the kiss, he traveled down to my neck, chuckling. "I can't resist you anymore, _rossa_. I know you hold your gift very close to your heart, and are not willing to give it to just anyone. I want to be the one to receive that gift."

I didn't have to ask what he meant. He knew I took my virginity very seriously, and for him to ask to be the one to receive that gift…It blew my mind. I had no idea what to say. But I knew deep down that he was the only one I wanted to give that gift to.

He brought his head up to look at me. His eyebrow raised in question.

"Yes."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I had to laugh.

I had never asked a woman to marry me before, but I was pretty positive most women wouldn't faint at the question, and much less when asked in the car. But Bonnie wasn't like most women. And it was the only way…

I _wanted_ her. Her mind, her spirit, her _body_. We had already exchanged enough blood that she was becoming more like me every day, so much that if she were to…_die_…tomorrow. I stopped myself. I knew exactly what would happen. But the thought of anything harming her was stifling.

That was when I knew I wouldn't be without her. And the sooner we made it official, the sooner we could have her _friends_ come out to see her. I used the term loosely. Not once since we had left Fell's Church had they wanted to come out to see her. There were nights while she slept that I would take the form of the crow and fly back to see what they were all doing, and where their thoughts were. Many times they spoke of Bonnie, but Mutt would leave the room. His thoughts were the easiest to follow.

Some nights he would wander around the city, sulking that he lost _two_ women to my kind. I found myself chuckling most of those nights. I didn't recall him ever letting Bonnie know he saw her as more than a friend _before_ I came back. And I only knew of the one time that he had ever put his lips on her. I cringed with the memory every time it invaded my thoughts.

On one night in particular, I followed Mutt listening to him and stopped in mid-flight. He had planned on asking my Bonnie to come home…to _him_. He planned on making her his…_wife_. He had everything planned out exactly. From what he would wear to how he would give her the ring his father had given his mother, before he upgraded her to a larger diamond. I swallowed back the bile that had risen in my throat listening to his plans. He wanted her…in his bed, and that was how he had intended to propose.

That night was my deciding factor. I would beat him to it. And my advantage was that I knew she'd say yes. What I wasn't sure of was why Mutt decided he wanted _my Bonnie_. I suppose since Elena had already been taken by my brother, and Meredith was dating the teacher who pretended to be a 'vampire hunter' of sorts… I was disgusted with the thought that Bonnie was his second best. She would always be more than that to me. I could see her as nothing less.

Another night I heard Stefan's irritating voice calling to me. I hadn't intended to stop, but my curiosity got the better of me. I landed quietly on the roof of the boarding house as Stefan walked out of the shadows. "You rang?"

Stefan heard the sarcasm in my voice and waved it off. "This ends tonight."

I chuckled, feigning surprise and pointing to my chest. "Why brother, I'm not sure what you mean." I cocked my head to the side, daring him to speak further.

"You know exactly what I mean, Damon. I've let this go on long enough. You can't do this to her. _You cannot change her_." Stefan's fists clenched and I raised my eyebrow at him, a slow smile spreading across my lips.

"How do you know I haven't already?" There was no way to tell if he did or not, not unless I probed his mind. And though I still had _most_ of my strength, I hadn't fed in a couple of days. So I didn't try to push through. Amazingly enough, though, his guard was down.

_You haven't. I would know._ He said in my head. _I still exchange blood with Elena, and I can reach all the way out to you._

I laughed aloud, and felt a snap in my head. Stefan had pulled me back to him mentally. _What the hell?_

He nodded. _Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice._

_And what would you know of choices, brother_? I threw at him. _You think I forced Bonnie into loving me. _His face faltered and I saw his thoughts about my relationship with my _rossa._ I chuckled again. _Oh, you have _no_ idea. You see_, I said in my head, walking over to him, _she called for me. I came back because _she_ wanted _me_. And now she _will_ be like me. _

Stefan settled into a crouch and I held back another laugh. "Do you really want to do this, brother?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "You do realize what hurting me will do to Bonnie, don't you?"

Stefan stood straight then, and yelled at me in his mind. _Her ties are too strong! You have no idea what our blood is doing to her! And what may happen if she becomes one of us!_

I nodded. _I see…You're worried about her _Power_. _ Stefan nodded this time. _You're right, as much as I hate to admit it._ I began to pace on the roof, looking down at my steps. _She has Druid blood. Combined with our own that could be very powerful-_

_Or deadly,_ Stefan finished in my head. _Did you ever stop to think that it could kill her? _

In actuality, I hadn't. There of course were no known cases of anything like that ever happening. No one had ever written stories about vampires and witches coming together. Well, not non-fiction anyway. So of course there would be _speculation_ on the matter, but nothing concrete. _Hm…I guess I'll have to look into that…_

I heard Stefan's growl and my head snapped as he lunged at me. I turned just in time to see him fly past me and off the roof, and in another instant he was back in front of me, his hands coming to my throat. It caught me off guard and I grabbed his wrists as he squeezed harder, attempting to cut off my air supply. _Damnit Damon! When will you think of someone _other_ than yourself? _

I pulled his hands from my neck, narrowing my eyes at him as he screamed in my head. I threw him to the side as my chest started heaving. _You have _no idea_, brother, what my thoughts are! Do not _ever_ mistake your place as Bonnie savior again. Do I make myself clear?!_

Stefan stood then, looking just over my shoulder and I turned to see Elena standing there on the roof, a frightened look on her face. "Damon…" she began, walking toward me with her hands outstretched. "Please understand that we love Bonnie so very much. None of us can bear the thought of anything happening to her."

This time it was her I narrowed my eyes at, and I flinched when she touched my arm. I felt the purity of her words, and it was as if the angel Elena was back, standing before me. The memories of their childhood together flooded my eyes as I saw them as clear as day, like they were playing out on a screen over my vision. I saw their early school days, the first crushes they each had and how Bonnie's heart had been broken when the _imbecille_ chose Caroline Forbes over her. It had been that way for years, and the next memory shocked even Elena.

The first time Matt had kissed Elena, and Bonnie watched, heartbroken again, in the shadows.

I heard Stefan's breath catch behind me as he watched, stunned into silence.

_Bonnie felt she always came second to Elena_.

From day one Bonnie had felt inadequate next to this golden haired goddess that everyone else adored. _I will never allow _anyone_ to make her feel that way again_.

Elena's sobs broke through my thoughts and I looked at her, but this time I really _saw_ her. And she saw me. We could still communicate effectively in our minds and the look in her eyes beseeched me. _You love her._ Not a question.

_Yes._

_ And you will protect her at all cost._

_ With my very life._

_ Then you have my blessing._

I nodded, and immediately began my flight back to my _vita_.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

The sun was bright in our bedroom window, and I felt the breeze coming in through the French doors that led to our balcony. My eyes opened to the most glorious sight I remembered ever seeing.

Damon stood, leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed across his chest with his head down, looking up at me through his coal black lashes. The smile on his lips was infectious, and I felt myself being drawn to him before I knew what was happening.

I stood, letting the button down shirt of his I had worn to bed the night before fall to rest on my thighs. "I promise you, _cara_," he whispered without moving, "that is quite possibly the most beautiful sight I have ever seen."

I felt the blush creep into my cheeks, making me warm from the inside. "What?" I stuttered. "Me?"

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. I reached him, slipping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. I heard a low growl from deep in his chest, and I smiled against his lips. "You smell like the ocean. Did you sleep at all?"

He pulled back and chuckled into my hair, pulling my hair around over my shoulder and kissing me behind my ear. "Of course I did, _rossa_. What would make you ask that?"

I shrugged with my head resting against his chest. "I dunno, I just get the feeling you haven't been sleeping much."

I knew his moods better than my own lately, and when he wasn't sleeping he was more irritable. Of course, not feeding would make him just as irritable, but I knew he had fed last night. My sore neck was proof of that. So no sleep was more than likely the case. I pulled back to look at him and raked my nails over his chest through his shirt, eliciting a moan from him as he bent down to kiss me again.

Kissing Damon was something I never saw myself tiring of. Between the sounds we made, and the way he felt against me as we kissed, everything had a strangely erotic feel to it, no matter where we were or who was around.

I also didn't see myself staying a virgin for long if we kept this up.

Damon chuckled, and I knew he had heard what I was thinking. "We can easily remedy that, _cara_. You just say the word."

I pulled back to look into his eyes. "I already did."

He looked down at me with an inquisitive look. "I don't think I heard you then. Please," he raised an eyebrow at me, "tell me again."

I took his hands in mine, walking us back to the bed and biting my lips. "I told you I'd marry you."

Damon nodded, smiling slowly. "Ah, that you did." He looked down and when he looked back up at me, the expression in his eyes could be taken as deadly or intensely sexual. Knowing Damon, I assumed the latter. "_Rossa…cara…_" he said, taking my face in his hands. "I think there's something you're looking for."

"Um, what?" I had a beautiful house overlooking the beach, the best clothes, a beautiful flashy car, and best of all, Damon. I couldn't think of anything else I could want more.

Damon smiled, virtually illuminating the room even more, and dropped his hands. He turned away from me, walking back to where he was when I had first seen him this morning, but he didn't turn back to face me. "What would you say if I could promise you your friends' blessing for us to be together?" He turned to me slowly, gauging my reaction.

I grinned, knowing that he would only bring it up if it were at all possible. "I'd say there was a good chance I would love you forever."

Damon's eyes widened for just a moment before he regained his composure. "I don't think I've ever heard you say anything like that before." He walked back over to me and took my hands in his again. "So, that's something that would make you happy then?"

"Of course!" I squealed, my excitement getting the better of me. "But," my face fell with the thought, "what if you… can't?"

Damon smiled wickedly. "You have to know that I have my ways of persuasion, _amore_."

I shook my head, looking down at where our fingers were joined. "No," I whispered, feeling the tears start to form and threaten to spill. "I don't want you to use your Power. I want them to _want_ us to be happy together. Either they're happy of their own accord, or they have nothing to do with us ever again. I don't want to keep looking for a blessing that may never come."

I felt his fingers under my chin, urging me to look at him. "Bonnie," he whispered against my temple. I closed my eyes, breathing in the scent that was all Damon. It reminded me of a crisp winter day in Fell's Church. "I've heard their thoughts, Elena's in particular. She's fiercely protective of you, but she wants you to be happy." He was barely whispering, and normally I would have to strain to hear him, but there was no need now. "I spoke with her a few months ago." I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "My brother brought up a point, actually. And in the conversation, Elena…gave us…her blessing."

I saw him looking down at me and I could feel the hope start to build within me. I tried to force it down so that it wouldn't hurt when the rug was pulled out from under me, shattering the life I was trying to build with Damon. But in looking in his eyes, I saw nothing but truth. He nodded while he looked into my eyes, answering my question before it was even asked. "She…she did?"

"Yes. But not before my brother had something to say."

"Yeah, I heard you mention something about that. You said he had a point. What was it?"

Damon's eyes went blank for a second and then he smiled at me. "Nothing." He kissed the top of my head. "It's nothing, _cara_. We can talk later." He lifted me into his arms, and my legs wrapped around his waist. "Do we _have_ to wait until the wedding night?"

We both laughed and I hit him on the arm. "Damon! You _do_ want to make me an _honest_ woman, don't you?"

He growled low, and threw me onto the bed, following directly behind.

_Yeah, this wedding would have to take place _quickly.

* * * * * * *

_**Elena**_

Because Bonnie was like a sister to me, I _had_ to do my research. Damon told me he loved her, and more importantly, he _showed_ me through his thoughts how intense that love was. Part of me had been jealous, for only a second. No woman had affected Damon this way in a very long time, and the vain part of me had wanted to credit myself, but I had everything I wanted in _Stefan_ Salvatore, not Damon. And Damon had found his love in our Bonnie.

I had paced the boarding house foyer like a mad woman. Stefan had been to the library, looking things up in Honoria Fell's diary, and still nothing came up about vampires changing witches. We had a theory about it, of course, but neither of us wanted to put it to the test.

His Power, once she was dead and changed into what he was, could kill her.

None of us wanted to think about it, and we wanted to _test_ that theory even less. I hadn't spoken to Bonnie about it, but we would eventually have to broach the subject. I looked out the small window of the airplane as we headed to Los Angeles. Stefan was asleep next to me, and Meredith was across the aisle with Alaric. The only one missing was Matt. He had faked finals or something to get out of the trip, but if Meredith was done, so was Matt. I knew there was something behind this for him, but I didn't press him. He and Stefan both had told me about the kiss he had shared with Bonnie before she left, and though normally it would sting, the whole 'best-friends-don't-date-each-other's-exes' rule still firmly in place, I had Stefan for the rest of my life. I had no reason to be angry with either Bonnie or Matt, and I wasn't.

But everything would be much easier if Matt conceded to Bonnie's choice.

The plane landed, and we all stepped into the baggage claim, everyone silent. I heard Alaric clear his throat and we all looked at him expectantly. He shook his head, and we all looked back down at our baggage.

Everyone climbed into the taxi, and Stefan sat in the front with the driver, leaning over to give him the address to where we were going. The driver's eyebrows went up in surprise, and Stefan merely nodded. We all knew where Damon had bought the house, and though it was extravagant in location, we imagined that Bonnie's taste had been incorporated into the décor. She was bubbly, but homey, and it was sure to show in the rooms.

No one spoke. I assumed everyone was too afraid of what might happen when we got to the house. I could feel the tension Stefan was trying to hold in. _It's ok, everything will be fine,_ I projected his way, and I saw him smile over his shoulder at me. He was dreading this most of all. We all knew how easily this could turn ugly, and no one wanted anything to happen to Bonnie. She was in the middle, no matter how you looked at it.

The gate was beautiful…and big. But it was nothing compared to the house. It looked like something you would see only in movies, and I was almost positive I had. Some movie shot in the hills of Hollywood or something… I shook my head to clear my thoughts and we all took a breath. This was going to be a big day.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

_Damn!_

I heard my brother's thoughts as soon as he stepped off the plane. He was angry. _Ha, and he's coming here to convince Bonnie to leave with them._

I tried my best to block my thoughts from Bonnie. There was no reason to upset her, and clearly this was meant to be an ambush. There was no way I could get Bonnie to leave today, though. She was dead set on making out these wedding plans. We would be getting married in less than a week. The blessing Elena had given gave her the incentive to do things right away, and I was in no mood to stop her. The passion and lust emanating off of her overwhelmed me, and I knew that once she was mine in the legal sense, she wouldn't hesitate to be mine in the physical sense. I welcomed her advances, and she was beginning to make it very difficult to resist her.

_They're close now…_ I tried to make myself busy with something, but everything had been done already. The house was spotless, thanks to our housekeepers. Wedding plans were all but solidified with Bonnie's touch. There was nothing left to do but…

_Damn!_ The knock at the door resonated throughout the house. I heard Bonnie suck a breath in, and her thoughts were everywhere. _I wonder who that could be? Damon didn't say we were expecting any visitors today…_

I saw her small frame appear at the top of the stairs and she caught my attention immediately. Her eyebrows raised and she thought to me, _Well? Are you gonna answer the door?_ She chuckled lightly and started coming down the stairs.

I didn't look as I opened the large double doors, my eyes still trained on her feet as she walked, and I heard her gasp.

Mutt stood on the step, glaring at me.

"Game over, Salvatore. You lose."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Yeah…I got nothing…Just read. **_

_**And of course review as you see fit. **_

**11**

_**Damon**_

"Game over, Salvatore. You lose."

I heard Mutt speak behind me as Bonnie gasped from where she stood on the stairs. I felt the slow smile spread across my lips before I realized it was happening. _Ha…if only you knew…Mutt._

I turned slowly to face him and saw the look on his face. He meant for it to catch me 'off my game', was how he had put it in his head a moment ago. _Don't! Please Damon, don't hurt him!_ Bonnie screamed in my head, her block totally gone. _He's not here to hurt me…He doesn't want to hurt you either. He wouldn't do that!_

I glanced at her over my shoulder, smiling and nodding. "Mutt," I said through my teeth, looking back at him. "May we ask what brings you to our home?"

He didn't step forward, but he didn't back up either. His eyes were trained on Bonnie where she stood. "You know what I'm here for, Damon. And I _will_ have what I want."

I chuckled low, and heard Bonnie run to my side. Her hand rested on my arm to steady me and my breathing, which had picked up in the last few seconds of the discussion, now slowed to normal. "Damon, what's he talking about?"

"Ask him, _cara._ I'm sure he's _dying_ to tell you himself." I crossed my arms over my chest, and leaned back on my heels. Bonnie's hand was still in place on my arm, and I reached over and placed one hand over hers.

Bonnie looked at Mutt then, her eyes blazing. "What the hell is he talking about, Matt?" She turned to face him fully, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. When he didn't speak, she let out a loud huff. "I'm waiting."

Mutt looked surprised. _He's trying to figure out the best way to speak to you and not upset you, cara._ I spoke to her silently. _Give him a moment. I'm sure you'll find this absolutely fascinating._

Bonnie looked at me, smiling sweetly. She turned on Mutt then and reached her hand out to him. My heart stopped a moment watching her. The last time she had attempted to be nice to him I was in a tree. It was a completely different story when she was standing next to me…in the foyer of our home.

"I came…to…take you home, Bonnie." He said softly. I saw her head cock to the side, a habit she had picked up from spending so much time with me, and I held back a chuckle.

"I _am_ home, Matt. This is where I _live_." She stepped back to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I heard the double meaning behind the word, but I knew this idiot would never pick up on it. So she would tell him herself. "Damon is my life now. And I won't leave him. Ever."

I heard Mutt's sharp breath and I almost laughed. We all heard the car doors outside, the front door still wide open and I heard Bonnie's heart rate quicken when she smelled the familiar perfume coming through the door. "Elena…"

* * * * * * *

_**Stefan**_

I could hear their thoughts before the car came to a stop at the middle of the circular driveway. The door had been left open in their haste, and I could smell Matt's fear as he tried to determine if he was doing the right thing. I found myself wishing he could read thoughts as well as Damon and I could, or even at all.

_"I came…to…take you home, Bonnie."_ Matt spoke softly, and his heart rate sped up like a freight train.

_ "I _am_ home, Matt. This is where I _live_."_ Bonnie said, and I could hear my brother's pride at the last word. There had been a double meaning to it. _"Damon is my life now. And I won't leave him. Ever."_

I squeezed Elena's hand and looked down into her eyes. "It's time."

We got to the door just as Bonnie looked up and spoke Elena's name. "What are you all doing here?" Bonnie asked softly, releasing Damon and coming to stand in front of us. She turned back toward him. "Did you know they were coming?" Damon shook his head slowly, his eyes glued to mine.

_Not now, brother._ I heard him say.

Elena's slender arms encased Bonnie and I saw a tear fall down her cheek. "Oh Bonnie, we missed you so much." _She's still…her. She's still human._ I nodded slightly, but I knew she saw me.

Bonnie pulled back and looked at all of us. "That still doesn't explain what you're all doing here. Elena? Meredith? Alaric?" She looked at each one of us and still no one spoke. Her arms came across her chest and she leaned over on one leg. "I know this isn't a social visit. Exactly how many of you are here to try to convince me to leave?"

Her eyes swept over all of us, and she was angry. _I told you this was a bad idea_. Elena thought to me. I glanced over at Damon, and he nodded in agreement. _We shouldn't be here. I told you I gave him my blessing where she was concerned._

I stepped forward, taking Bonnie into my own embrace and leading her to the middle of the room. "Bonnie, we're all just trying to make sure you're happy. I swear that's all."

Meredith and Alaric were looking around nervously. _Stefan, we need to tell her_, Meredith thought to me. I nodded, still looking at Bonnie.

"Tell me what?" Bonnie's eyes bore into mine and at that moment I knew we were too late. No matter what happened now, everything we had come to do today would be in vain. We couldn't stop her transformation, it was nearly complete. Now all we could do was wait for its conclusion.

"Bonnie," I began, but was immediately cut off by Matt.

"Marry me, Bonnie," Matt shouted from where he stood in the corner. "Come home and have a normal life with us, with me."

Damon was silent, and very still. I could feel him restraining his emotions. There was anger and a lot of amusement. Bonnie was confused, and I could feel something else…_remorse_. "Aw Matt," she said, turning to him. Her expression and tone were both exasperated, and she threw her hands up in the air before she brought them down to her legs with a loud slap. "You gotta be kidding me!"

Matt looked at her, eyes wide. Damon smiled and held his hand out to Bonnie, who took it as she returned to his side. "I'm already engaged."

I whipped my head around to look at my brother and he nodded. "So you see, _Mutt_," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "The game is definitely over. But I believe _you_ are the one who loses."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

"Marry me, Bonnie," Mutt shouted from where he stood. "Come home and have a normal life with us, with me."

_And there it was. _The pathetic attempt at gaining her affection wasn'texactly what he had planned, but I could see him running out of options.

_Please say yes, Bonnie! _His thoughts were just as annoying as his voice. _Please Bonnie!_

My anger had subsided for the most part, but he was really starting to annoy me. I could see Bonnie's eyes, and she wasn't going to sit very long with this. I saw his eyes too, and now they were begging her.

"Aw Matt," she said, turning to him. Her tone made me want to laugh, but I restrained myself for Bonnie's sake. She threw her hands up like I had seen people do in movies when they were upset. I had never actually seen anyone do it in person, and I found it extremely amusing. "You gotta be kidding me!"

Mutt simply looked at her. I heard her irritation with him in her thoughts and I smiled, holding my hand out to Bonnie, who took it as she came back to stand with me. "I'm already engaged." _Good girl_, I thought.

I saw my brother's head whip around to me and I nodded. "So you see, _Mutt_," I said, thoroughly enjoying the pained look on Mutt's face. "The game is definitely over. But I believe _you_ are the one who loses."

Elena's eyes widened and she grabbed Bonnie from me, wrenching her out of my grasp and pulling her into the next room with Meredith on her heels. I followed them with my eyes, folding my arms back over my chest. My brother stared at me in disbelief. _So you haven't changed her yet, but you plan to. And soon. _

_Is there really a need to discuss this, brother? You already knew all of this months ago._ My boredom would soon win out and either I would leave or snap someone's neck. The predator in me preferred the latter.

"Can you please not do that?" Alaric said from the corner of the room. "There are those of us in the room that can't exactly read minds."

_Huh…I had completely forgotten there was anyone else in the room. _"Mr. Saltzman," I said turning to face him, leaning against the wall I stood in front of. "What can we do for you?"

Alaric walked over to me and stopped midway. "I don't suppose you did any…_research_?"

_Ah, so you've shared your theories with the hunter, have you, brother?_ Stefan nodded in my direction but was still listening to Alaric. "No," I said after a moment. "But I'd be glad to let you all know once everything is said and done."

Stefan growled and I laughed quietly. "Damon-"

"Oh enough, _brother_," I said shrugging him off and walking past him. Mutt still hadn't moved from where he sat on the bottom step of the stairs. "Take your pathetic little band of rebels and go."

"I don't think so," Stefan said from behind me. "We're staying as long as Bonnie wants us. And you know as well as I do that she wants us here." _I heard her just as clearly, Damon. _

I rolled my eyes at the boys in my foyer. "Fine," I started walking toward the room the girls had gone into. "Then go get your bags. You can all bunk together."

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

This can't be happening.

_Only you, Bonnie, would have such bad damn luck._

Not only did Matt show up unannounced at my house, but then the rest of my friends came with him. And then a proposal! _Oh you have got to be kidding me!_

I sat in the formal living room with my head in my hands. Meredith and Elena sat on either side of me, both with their arms around me trying to console me. _No, this is _exactly_ happening._

"Did you know?" I asked both of them without looking up. I could hear their shrugs beside me. _Wondering what to say?_

"No," Meredith said quietly. "Matt didn't come to any of us with his…_intentions_."

I snorted. _Figures._ "So none of you could stop him. And of course you had no idea about me and Damon." Elena started to speak and I held my hand up to stop her. "And none of you bother to _call_ me anymore, so-"

"Enough," Damon stood in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, watching me. _Are you alright?_ I nodded. "I think this conversation would be better had at a later time. You are all welcome to stay here tonight, if Bonnie is alright with it." I nodded again. "But I assure you, you _will_ _not_ upset her further."

Damon's expression was terrifying…to everyone but me. When I looked at him I saw nothing more than the pure love he had for me. He was concerned for me. _I'm fine, really Damon. It's fine._

His face softened as he listened to my thoughts. He reached for me and I stood, looking at both of the girls on either side of me. "We have plenty of room. I'd like it if you stayed." They both nodded and left the room quickly. I turned to Damon after they had gone and pulled him to me, kissing him deeply. "I don't wanna wait anymore."

I felt him smile against my kiss, and his tongue traced my bottom lip. "Ah _cara_," he whispered, and I felt his hand weave into the hair at the back of my neck. "You have no clue what that does to me. Tell me what you want and you can have it."

"I want to be with you. Tonight."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I walked silently into the room and listened. "Did you know?" I heard her ask them.

They both shrugged looking at each other as if they were trying to figure out what to say. "No," Meredith said quietly. "Matt didn't come to any of us with his…_intentions_."

She snorted and I held back a chuckle. I could feel her cool start to fade and the frustration begin to set in_._ "So none of you could stop him. And of course you had no idea about me and Damon." Elena started to speak and she held her tiny hand up to stop her, sighing quietly. "And none of you bother to _call_ me anymore, so-"

"Enough," I said from where I was in the doorway. I folded my arms across my chest, my eyes on my Bonnie. _Are you alright?_ She nodded. "I think this conversation would be better had at a later time. You are all welcome to stay here tonight, if Bonnie is alright with it." She nodded again. "But I assure you, you _will_ _not_ upset her further."

I looked at the girls, daring them with my eyes to say anything more. Finally I caught Bonnie's gaze, and she spoke to my mind. _I'm fine, really Damon. It's fine._

My resolve crumbled as I listened to her thoughts. She was thinking about our wedding day, and more importantly our wedding night. I reached for her and she came to me, looking at both of the girls on the couch. "We have plenty of room. I'd like it if you stayed." They both nodded and left the room. Bonnie turned to me, kissing me passionately. "I don't wanna wait anymore."

I smiled as I kissed her and brought my tongue across her bottom lip. "Ah _cara_," I whispered, entwining my hand into the curls at the back of her neck. "You have no clue what that does to me. Tell me what you want and you can have it."

"I want to be with you. Tonight."

My concentration broke at her words. "Tonight? But Bonnie-"

She put her finger to my lips and I grabbed her wrist, a little rougher than I had planned, and pulled her wrist up to my nose. I ran the tip of my nose down to the inside of her elbow, enveloping myself in the smell that was all Bonnie. Simple and sweet, and tonight, _extremely seductive_. My voice was husky when I finally spoke. "Bonnie…I-"

She tilted her head to the side, exposing her throbbing vein which now taunted me, clouding every sense and stopping me mid-thought. I could think of nothing other than what she felt like in my arms, and wanted to feel her under me, her arms wrapped around me, touching me wherever she felt led to. But there were more pressing issues. I knew how she thought, and everything about her actions at the moment was screaming desperation. And I couldn't let her give in this way.

_Damn. Who the hell _am_ I?_

"_Cara_…" I whispered, trying to pull her away from where she had attached herself to me. "_Rossa…please_." She wasn't budging, and I wasn't fighting hard at all. "I can't let you do this."

_Why?_ She didn't speak audibly; her lips were otherwise occupied. _We _both_ want this, Damon. Please don't deny me what I want._

_Damn, damn, damn…_ Every fiber of my being wanted to let go; to take her without abandon. But I knew she would regret this later. She wanted to give her gift to her husband on her wedding night, not before. I didn't want her to scold herself later, and I knew she would. _Yeah, Salvatore, you are officially someone else now. And I _do not_ know you. _

I put my hands on her upper arms and gently pushed her back to look at me. Her eyes were still closed and she was breathing hard.

_Bonnie, look at me._

_ No._

_ Please, cara. I need to see your eyes._

Slowly, she opened each eye, but wouldn't look at me. Her thoughts hit me like a truck. _You don't want me._

All reason flew out the proverbial window and I snapped.

I grabbed her by the waist, picking her up and moaning as her legs instinctively wrapped around me and locked at my back. I felt myself placing her up against the wall and had to keep reminding myself that my strength was more than ten times what hers was. But I couldn't hear, think, smell…

All I could do was feel. And Bonnie McCullough felt like both heaven and hell to me right now. "Now?" I whispered into her mouth as I kissed her.

She snaked her hands into my hair and nodded. "Now."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Oh, I love my fans…**_

_**You complete me. LOL**_

_**I know I said I was gonna stop after the 5**__**th**__** chapter…and then again after another chapter, but I'm having just way too much fun with these characters. While they're not mine, I can make them do things…And I write as I see it in my head. So I will keep writing as long as I have things in my wild imagination, be it with this story or another. Sound good to you?**_

_**This has been written for a week or two now. But I just didn't figure I was done with it. Kept adding and deleting and re-writing… You'll enjoy the end result, I think. Oh, and before I forget… this may get pretty heated, so don't say you weren't warned…**_

_**He he he…**_

**12**

_**Bonnie**_

"_Cara_…" Damon whispered, and I could feel him pulling me away from him. "_Rossa…please_." _He can't be fighting very hard_. I knew it was a matter of time before he stopped everything. And he knew there were people in the house with us, but I could see he obviously didn't care. "I can't let you do this."

_Why?_ I didn't speak, I didn't need to. _We _both_ want this, Damon. Please don't deny me what I want._

I knew why he was fighting me on this_._ But I also knew he could never really say no. He wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Or at least that's what I kept telling myself. I had to keep going while his guard was down. 

I felt him push me back with a little more force and I rocked back slightly, still basking in the feeling of his lips on mine. I wanted more, and I knew if I opened my eyes I would lose my nerve. What did virgins know about being seductive? I knew I couldn't do this if we kept talking. So I would pretend I was in a dream. It was the easiest way. My eyes were closed and I was breathing heavy when he brought up a force between us, shutting me out. I felt the tears start behind my closed eyes as realization set in. He stopped…and now I knew why.

He didn't want me sexually. I was nothing more than a child to him.

_Bonnie, look at me. _His "voice" shook me, but I couldn't open my eyes. I wouldn't look at him and see the rejection that was clearly written on his face…His beautiful face that held everything.

I knew I was being stupid. He had asked me to marry him not two weeks ago. But why? Was it just because I had followed him all the way out here? My mind was a mess, so I simply said, _No._

_Please, cara. I need to see your eyes._

I opened my eyes slowly, but I couldn't look at him. The feelings of rejection were back again in full force. _You don't want me._

I had no clue what happened next.

Damon's hands went around my waist, and I heard him moan as my legs wrapped around him. Instinct took over and I locked my ankles at his back as he put me up against the wall. I could feel him shaking just a little and I knew it wasn't because I was heavy. Either he was trying to be gentle and not crush me, though I knew he never would, or he was just as in the moment as I was.

He kissed me hungrily and went he finally broke the kiss he whispered only one word. "Now?"

I wove my hands into his soft black hair. "Now."

* * * * * * *

He carried me upstairs and to the enormous bedroom we shared. I saw the French doors were open, and the breeze was blowing the sheer curtains in toward us. It was all a very romantic scene.

Or it would have been had I been paying any attention at all.

I dropped the flats I had been wearing as he carried me, and my hands were in overdrive trying to undo the buttons on his shirt. I heard him chuckle when I fumbled a few times, and I had to smile. Damon's laugh was probably the sexiest thing next to his growl. Wait, his pet name. _Oh hell, there's nothing _not _sexy about this man!_

When we finally got to the bed he set me down gently on my feet. Even standing I barely reached his head. _Good things come in small packages, right?_ I thought to him. He laughed quietly, nodding as he held my gaze.

_You're beautiful, Bonnie. _ I felt his hesitation, and finally, _But are you sure?_

Was I? There was nothing in my life that could've prepared me for this moment. Yes, kissing Damon was intense, and it was the closest I had ever gotten to being physical with a man. But I was sure if I lost my nerve now I would never be at this point again. Ok, that was a lie. My wedding was in less than a week, and I would be doing this exact same thing.

But I didn't want to wait. _One week's not so bad right?_

"_Cara_," he whispered softly. "We can wait. I want to, just as much as you do. But I want it to be right for you. You already agreed to marry me, so the physical part _will_ happen. But it's entirely up to you as to _when_."

His eyes bore into mine. I heard the truth in his words and I shook my head. _We can stop_, he spoke to my mind, and his eyes were sad.

"No!" I almost shouted, and giggled when his eyebrows went up. "I mean, I don't want to stop. I was scolding myself for being so stupid earlier."

He tilted his head to the side and looked at me through his lashes. I hadn't remembered closing my eyes, or getting down on my knees on the bed in front of him, but I was enjoying his hands on me so much I didn't really notice _anything_. The back of his hand swept my face from the bottom of my ear to my chin as he spoke to me. "When you had that ridiculous idea that I didn't want you? How could I _not_ want you, _rossa_? I don't propose to just anyone. Or did you forget that fact?"

I felt his hand skim my arms, and then go across my stomach, which was suddenly bare. I opened my eyes and looked down to see he had completely unbuttoned my blouse and was now staring at me as if I was the first female he had ever seen. He licked his lips and looked back up at me.

"I love you."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I set her on her feet on the bed, the top of her head grazing my chin. _Good things come in small packages, right?_ She thought to me. I laughed and nodded, not breaking our gaze.

_You're beautiful, Bonnie. _ Even though I wanted her I still wasn't sure it was what _she_ wanted. _But are you sure?_

Our wedding was in less than a week, and we could surely wait that long. Only now, I wasn't sure _I_ could make it that long before making her mine in every way.

She didn't want to wait. I could see her thoughts begin to form in her head

"_Cara_," I whispered softly. "We can wait. I want to, just as much as you do. But I want it to be right for you. You already agreed to marry me, so the physical part _will_ happen. But it's entirely up to you as to _when_."

I looked her deep in her eyes and willed her to hear my sincerity. And then she shook her head and I was sure we would be stopping. _We can stop_, I thought to her, hoping she knew I meant it, but guessing my expression betrayed me.

"No!" she shouted, and giggled when my eyebrows went up. "I mean, I don't want to stop. I was scolding myself for being so stupid earlier."

I dropped my head to the side and looked at her through my lashes. This always seemed to work with her, and tonight was no exception as I heard her breath hitch. She closed her eyes and dropped to her knees in front of me. I swept her face with the back of my hand from the bottom of her ear to her chin as I spoke, and I smiled as I noticed how much she was enjoying my caresses. "When you had that ridiculous idea that I didn't want you? How could I _not_ want you, _rossa_? I don't propose to just anyone. Or did you forget that fact?"

I unbuttoned her blouse quickly and trailed my hands over her bare stomach. She opened her eyes and looked down to see what I was doing. I felt like I was looking at the first female God had ever created. And before I could stop myself, I licked my lips and looked back up at her, her eyes dancing in anticipation.

"I love you."

The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. And I knew they were true, I just had never said them aloud to her before.

I saw her jaw drop and I knew she had realized it as well. "I…I…" She looked down and I pulled her face up by her chin to look at me.

"I should have said it when I proposed. _Quanto stupido di me_. I should probably tell you every minute of every day I'm with you." I was kneeling in front of her on the bed, walking us back to the middle. I laid her back slowly and her hand came around to rest on my back as I leaned halfway over her. "I do, _cara_. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you." I looked away for a moment and chuckled. _How odd…_ I looked back down at her and kissed the tip of her nose. _I really do mean that._

Her breath came quickly and I saw her eyes start to roll back in her head as my hands roamed her stomach and stopped just under the lower strap of her bra. _Please…_she thought to me. _Please don't stop._

I could hear everything. Her breathing, the blood rushing through her veins, the erratic thoughts going through everyone's mind downstairs as they were attempting to decipher what was going on up here between us. And I could hear my brother yelling at me to stop.

His words were not friendly. I was being called every name he could think of in both Italian and English, and I was sure I heard another language, but I was too focused on the task at hand to care what it was. He was angry, of course, but I wasn't sure if it was because I was about to make Bonnie mine and he had yet to do that with Elena, or if he was truly concerned with Bonnie's change.

But none of that mattered.

The only thing that mattered to me now was Bonnie. I was about to make her mine physically, and I realized I had no clue how to begin.

Normally I would lure a woman back to where I was staying, shower her with affection and roam her body with my body, my hands, and my tongue, before I took her. And then after I fed, I would leave. It was quite simple.

I should've known nothing about this act with Bonnie would be _simple_. Nothing about Bonnie was _ever_ simple.

As I looked at her lying beneath me, writhing in pleasure from the way my fingers worked her body, I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be. And there was no one else I wanted to be with other than my _rossa_. "_Non posso attendere per spendere il resto della mia vita che li incita per ritenere questo senso, cara._"

She moaned at the words and her head rocked slightly back and forth. "Mmmm, I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded so damn sexy…"

I laughed against her neck. "I said I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life making you feel this way." I looked into her eyes, which were now open and staring into my own. "I love you so much, Bonnie."

This night would by far be the best night of my existence.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I opened my eyes to the bright sunlight coming through the French doors to the bedroom. My hands went to my hair, which was now a tangled mess of curls. I rolled over and gasped at the beautiful sight next to me.

Damon covered with a sheet only to his waist, sleeping peacefully.

I sighed aloud, trying not to wake him, but watching him stir anyway. "Hi," I whispered as his eyes opened. They widened for just a moment and then he smiled.

"Good morning, _cara_. Did you sleep well?"

I nodded and snuggled closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "How do you feel?" He twirled a loose curl through his fingers.

_Well my legs feel like jello and I'm afraid to stand up for fear that I'll fall._ "I feel wonderful", I said, and hoped that I had successfully been able to block my thoughts. Damon chuckled. _Damn, I gotta shield my thoughts better._ Damon's laugh shook my entire body and I tried to hide myself under the sheet. "Y'know, you could at least _pretend_ you didn't hear me." My annoyed tone didn't come out too strong, and I rolled my eyes at myself.

"I'm sorry, _rossa_, your thoughts just don't stay well hidden these days." He shrugged slightly, in a meager attempt to not piss me off further. He pulled me up to him and kissed me hungrily. _Ok, I guess you're forgiven_.

I heard rustling downstairs and scrambled against Damon's hold on me, and finally sat straight up, grabbing the sheet to cover my naked chest. Damon pulled both of his arms up to rest behind his head and I found myself licking my lips at the sight of him lounging, perfectly chiseled, and totally mine. "We…uh…we should get downstairs…don't you think?"

He smiled slowly, his eyes grazing down my body and making me blush a bright shade of red. "I would say you're right, but honestly," he sat up and almost stalked me to where I was sitting on the edge of the bed, "I couldn't care _less_ what's going on down there." His lips came to rest just under my ear and a shudder rocked through me as my head fell back into his waiting hand.

"If you don't stop all this, we may never…" _Wait, what was I saying?_ The tip of Damon's tongue ran across my collarbone and my breath hitched involuntarily. _Please…_But I wasn't sure what I was pleading for anymore. _We have to stop…but…_

Damon pulled my hair back gently and traced his tongue up the front of my neck, stopping at my chin and biting me softly before he growled low in his throat. "_Non posso arrestarmi, voi ho un sapore troppo buon…_You taste like…" And he moaned.

_This man is gonna be the death of me..._

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

The last twelve hours of my existence now put everything into perspective.

I was made to love this woman.

This beautiful creature…Bonnie McCullough…the woman that saw me for the man I once was over five centuries ago. The woman that knew my secret and loved me irregardless of it. The woman who let me have her, mind, body and soul, of her own accord.

And I loved her more than I ever thought I would.

When I was given this life, and I used the term _very_ loosely, my thoughts were of pure rage, lust and murder. I had an eternity stretched out in front of me. There was nothing, and no _one_ standing in my way. And in truth, I suppose I was glad Katherine had given me this gift, though I didn't see it as such in the beginning. But had I not been given this option, I would never have the beautiful red-headed goddess that was sleeping next to me.

Her thoughts had been everywhere last night. Moments of fear, quickly replaced by pure ecstasy the moment I touched her. The thoughts that took me by surprise were the images of lust radiating through her body when we were together. Wherever my hands roamed, new thoughts of where she wanted me to touch her next exploded into my own and I grinned widely at the emotions my touches were eliciting from her. I was positive of the state of her "deflowering" before we had begun this journey together, but this woman, this wildcat of sorts took my breath away. Every time her mood switched I followed, intensifying it even further.

After many hours of exploring each other, she fell asleep in my arms, her chest rising and falling beautifully. I could watch her sleep forever and be totally content. When I finally fell asleep she was curled away from me, but still touching me with her feet up against my leg. _We look like an old married couple with the wife trying to warm her feet on her husband's legs. _I chuckled quietly before closing my eyes and falling asleep myself.

When we awoke the next morning, my brother's thoughts assaulted me just as I heard her sweet voice. _Hmm…he's still angry. I wonder if Elena shut him out of her room_. I had to smile. "Good morning, _cara_. Did you sleep well?" I asked quietly.

She nodded, snuggling into me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "How do you feel?" I captured a curl between my fingers and played with it, enjoying the feel of her silky hair.

_Well my legs feel like jello and I'm afraid to stand up for fear that I'll fall,_ I heard her think before she said, "I feel wonderful". I tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh, and a chuckle escaped. _Damn, I gotta shield my thoughts better._ I laughed at her thoughts and she ducked under the sheet, trying to hide herself. "Y'know, you could at least _pretend_ you didn't hear me." She tried to sound annoyed but it was lost in her slight giggle.

"I'm sorry, _rossa_, your thoughts just don't stay well hidden these days." I shrugged and pulled her up to me and kissed her, letting her know I was ready to have her again. _Ok, I guess you're forgiven_.

We heard rustling downstairs and Bonnie pulled away from me, sitting tall, and grabbing the sheet to cover her nakedness. I pulled my hands to rest behind my head and watched her. "We…uh…we should get downstairs…don't you think?"

I smiled slowly and let my eyes rake over her as she blushed brightly. "I would say you're right, but honestly," I sat up and crawled over to her, "I couldn't care _less_ what's going on down there." I kissed her under her ear and she quivered, dropping her head back into my hand.

"If you don't stop all this, we may never…" _Wait, what was I saying?_ Her erratic thoughts were betraying her. I traced my tongue across her collarbone and her breath hitched. _Please…_

_Please what, cara? Tell me…_

_We have to stop…but…_

I pulled her hair back gently allowing me access to her neck as I ran the tip of my tongue up to her chin where I bit her softly. I couldn't stop the growl at the taste of her skin. "_Non posso arrestarmi, voi ho un sapore troppo buon…_You taste like…" And he moaned.

If my brother and his version of "merry men" didn't kill me first, I was sure Bonnie would.


	13. Chapter 13

_**So you liked the last chapter, huh? Well, all except the non-descriptive part. But c'mon people! I can't rate it T if I wrote what I REALLY wanted to put! He he he…**_

**13**

_**Bonnie**_

It was the morning of our wedding. Elena and Meredith had agreed to be in my bridal party, and of course the guys would be our guests. Damon had said something along the lines of '_needing no one to_ _be present to tie him to me_', or something like that. I hadn't been paying much attention…my thoughts were otherwise…_occupied_.

Every chance we got, our hands were all over each other. And our nights were filled with touching, caressing, kissing, and whatever else came to mind. I wasn't sure we should've gone ahead and consummated our relationship before the wedding, but once we started, it was like we _couldn't stop_. I'm not sure I wanted to, in all honesty. The feel of Damon…touching any part of my body at all gave me chills up and down my spine. Good chills, _great_ chills! I had even spilled a few details here and there to Meredith when she asked. Elena left me alone most of the time, and it was starting to really annoy me. But in a few short hours Damon and I would be married. Ok, so it wouldn't be legal at all, what with Damon being over five hundred years old and having no record of who he was today, but those were all issues I wouldn't have to deal with after my change. I anticipated it would happen soon, and though I knew what it would take to make my transformation complete, I had to admit I wasn't too pleased with the details.

I would have to die…to live.

It sounded crazy even when I knew the steps and the outcome. But it was a small price to pay to be with the man of my dreams. Though I was sure there was at least one person that would disagree with me.

Matt didn't stay. He left the day after everyone had shown up at our house without a word to anyone. He didn't even speak to Elena or Stefan, which I found _really_ odd. He and Stefan had become pretty close. And let's not forget his history with Elena…I wished I could talk to him, but of course, he pretty much banned me from ever speaking to him the night the confrontation happened. _Well, he didn't actually _say_ you couldn't talk to him…_

I turned the shower on and let the steam settle in our bathroom. Little by little, I felt the knots start to release from my shoulders and I started to breathe deeper. There really was no reason to be nervous about tonight. I had dreamt about this my entire life. Sure, the groom was a little unorthodox…I giggled aloud at the thought. _He was more than a _little_ unorthodox. _How was I supposed to know I would fall head over heels in love with a centuries old _vampire_!?

I stepped in to the shower and quietly closed the glass door behind me. I was so glad we were encased in trees. Not only was the entire shower itself made entirely of glass, the back wall was, too. Any helicopter flying by would have a free show if they were to look down into our bathroom. The view was gorgeous, really, so I never complained. I had no idea how Damon found this house, but I was so glad he did. I couldn't imagine having a better life than I did right at that moment.

I heard my cell phone ringing from the bedroom, and then Damon's low voice answering it. I wasn't sure who it was, but I could hear a faint woman's voice, and I found myself wondering who was calling when Damon's tone became agitated and tense. Normally he reserved that tone for Stefan, but I knew it wasn't Stefan calling; I could hear his thoughts downstairs.

It had become apparent to me that I was becoming more and more like the Salvatore brothers every day. I could _hear_ more, I could _feel_ when others were around. And people's senses reached out to me too. I could feel when women were so into Damon they just _happened to forget_ I was standing next to him. Most of the time their thoughts were enough to make me want to hurl. But some were actually very condescending. I heard them think I was related more often than not. Damon had heard it too, and he even went as far as to grab me in a breath-stealing embrace and stick his tongue deep in my mouth, which made me giggle uncontrollably, resulting in us coming back here and making out like two lovesick teens hiding from their parents.

I would _never _tire of Damon Salvatore.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

Tonight, Bonnie would officially be mine. I would be free to love her any way I pleased.

Not that she wasn't _already_ mine…She had been _mine_ from the beginning of time, of that I was convinced. My brother wasn't having it. Something about interfering with the natural balance of things…I no longer paid him much attention. Frankly he bored me to tears. I honestly couldn't see what Elena saw in him.

I heard Bonnie get into the shower, and even though we had agreed to leave each other alone until we were pronounced man and wife, I couldn't resist poking my head in. The steam was stifling, but I could see her clearly where she was lathering up. The excitement within was threatening to escape when I heard her phone ring. I cursed under my breath and stalked over to where it sat on the nightstand. I didn't recognize the number, so I was going to let it go to voicemail and join my bride. But the nagging feeling in my gut wouldn't let up, so I reached for it.

_"You know you will never have her, Salvatore."_

"Who is this?"

The woman burst into a fit of laughter that made my skin crawl. _"Ah amore,"_ and immediately I knew.

But there was no way.

Katherine was dead…wasn't she?

"Who the hell is this?"

She laughed again, and I felt like jumping through the phone. "_Damon,_ _Gli sono sorprendo che non riconoscerebbe il vostro amore quando la sentite."_

"My _love_ is in the shower, I assure you. I have no idea who you are."

She laughed once more, this time sweetly, and it sounded vaguely familiar. But it seemed the more I tried to figure her out, the more she cloaked her identity. I couldn't take it anymore and I went to hang up when I heard her. "_I wouldn't do that if I were you."_

I looked around the room, sure she was somewhere near if she could tell what I was about to do. And then the idea dawned on me.

_She's one of us._

I nodded my head in agreement with my thoughts and tried to discreetly look around again. "Are you nearby?" I asked quietly.

_"I would think you would already know that by now, amore."_

_ She's not giving anything away._ "I'm just trying to be sure. You know _me_, right?" _I have to get her to reveal _something.

Almost as if she heard me, she cleared her throat and quickly closed the conversation saying, _"I'll be in touch, Damon." _The line went dead as Bonnie made her way into the room, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her face into my chest.

"Hi," she said, and I leaned down to kiss her.

"We're just hours away, _il mio cuore."_ Bonnie raised her eyebrows up, waiting for my translation, and I chuckled. "I called you 'my heart'." Her smile widened and I kissed her again. "I should go get ready."

She hugged me tighter to her and purred. _Not helping the situation in my pants, rossa._ She giggled, so I knew she'd heard me. "Sorry," she said, and reluctantly pulled her arms from around me. "I can't help it."

She'd left her hair down, and the wet ringlets clung to her back. She turned away from me and I could see the towel was barely wrapped around her, sitting dangerously low on her back, and coming just over the curve of her behind. I felt the growl before I could stop it, and instantly I had her pinned on the bed under me. "_Oh rossa, possiamo non farli mai giù le scale_…"

* * * * * * *

_**Meredith**_

I couldn't help the uneasy feelings creeping up. I knew Bonnie was in love with Damon, anyone could see it. But the fact that he was a vampire didn't help matters.

Bonnie could never take him home to meet her parents. She would never have a family like Alaric and I would. But then again, neither would Elena. None of us were sure about her current…_state_. Was she human? Immortal? No one knew. But then, no one had ever died, come back, died, and come back again. I wondered if she was adjusting after all…

"Mere?" The door opened and this beautiful bride stood before me. I had to blink a few times to make sure of what I was actually seeing. Bonnie's curls were piled on top of her head with tendrils falling loosely around her face. The dress must've been of Celtic fashion, but as old-fashioned as it looked in style, it totally fit Bonnie and her personality. It was just right. Fitting each and every curve while still leaving enough to the imagination. Damon was a dead man.

I giggled, and when Bonnie giggled too, I knew she had heard me. "Yeah, sounds pretty ridiculous when you think about it, huh?"

I took her by the hands and led her over stand in front of my long mirror. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you look tonight?"

Bonnie blushed and looked away. "Not in comparison to you, Mere. You look great." Bonnie had chosen a deep green slip dress for us, and I had yet to see Elena in hers.

I shrugged. "Nah, you're the knockout."

There was a knock at the door and we both turned to see Elena poke her head in. "Hey," she said, and her eyes widened at the sight of Bonnie in her gown. "Wow, Bonnie…" She looked like she was about to cry and just shook her head, clearing the thoughts.

I couldn't get over how well I knew these two. It felt like we had been together since birth. None of us knew what to do without each other. We were all joined so closely that when Elena had died the first time, even though we knew what had been going on between her and Stefan, we still wept. Losing her the second time had been that much harder. And tonight, while we would gain someone in our circle, we were also losing someone. Eventually we would have to go back to Fell's Church, and we would be leaving both Bonnie and Damon. Only time would tell where Stefan and Elena would end up. And Alaric and I would be getting married next year.

Life would go on. But somehow, I had the nagging feeling that nothing would ever be the same after tonight.

* * * * * * *

_**Stefan**_

I had watched Elena prepare herself for the wedding.

No, I didn't agree with this at all. But I doubted anyone had agreed with my relationship with Elena once they found out what I really was. My father had always told me never to pass judgment on anyone, and I had taken that with me throughout the years. It was the one thing that kept me going in this world.

Until I found Elena, I felt my life had no meaning. Yet I could never bring myself to remove my ring and step out into the sun. I knew what it meant, and I couldn't do that to my father. I knew he was long gone, but his memory was still with me, and his morals were still very much a part of who I was.

Damon was a rebel from the beginning, so it didn't surprise us when he brought women home at all hours. And then there was Katherine. She was both the glue that held me to my brother and the opposing force that came between us. Neither of us had ever thought we'd love again. But I had found my Elena. And Damon had found his Bonnie.

And I was smart enough to admit that I knew in my heart that he loved her.

I wouldn't fight them any longer. It hurt Bonnie, and I saw her as a sister. In a few short hours she would be exactly that, _my sister_.

Damon's wife…for all eternity.

There would be no going back after tonight. She would be his wife in this life, and once she was changed there would be no turning back ever again. I knew Bonnie was prepared, and I had also done some research of my own, coming up empty-handed.

The only was we would know what would become of Bonnie was to allow the Change to happen.

We were all frightened, but no one wanted to admit it, least of all Damon. No, he wouldn't admit that, but the thought of the Power she would have once changed consumed him sometimes. On those nights I wasn't sure what was urging him forward more, being with her or what her Power would mean for them, for _him._

My brother had always been very selfish. When he let me _see_ how he felt about Bonnie, albeit without his consent as I read his thoughts as he slept, I knew he loved her. It was evident in the way he protected her, even during the night. He would wrap his arms around her protectively and hold her close to his chest. No, I would never need to worry about keeping Bonnie safe anymore. My brother would never let any harm come to her as long as he was around.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I paced the floor in my room nervously waiting for Stefan to come and give me away. It seemed fitting, seeing as how the only other guy I would've wanted to walk me down the aisle was miles away both physically and emotionally.

I jumped at the knock on the door and giggled, waving Stefan in. "Wow, Bonnie," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," I breathed. "You think he'll like it?"

Stefan nodded. "Yes, he'll love it."

I let go and wove my arm through his. "Am I really doing this? I'm ready aren't I?"

Stefan chuckled. "I would hope so. Otherwise you're gonna have a very irritated vampire downstairs."

I nodded. "Yup. I'm ready to go." I took a deep breath and walked to my future.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

The call still had me on edge. No, I would never be able to tell Bonnie what had me jittery. I'm sure she would just attribute it to nerves. _What the hell would I really have to be nervous about?_ _I'm about to marry the woman of my dreams. Nothing at all to be nervous about._

My 'sixth sense' betrayed me.

I had heard Bonnie talk about it all the time and I never gave it another thought. I could hear peoples' thoughts. There was really no way for anyone to take me by surprise.

Something was going to happen tonight. And I wasn't totally positive we would be the same after.

* * * * * * *

_**Elena**_

I heard Stefan coming down the stairs with Bonnie.

His voice was smooth as he spoke, almost cooing to her. She wasn't nervous, not anymore. She had already done what she was most apprehensive about But Stefan still felt the need to make sure Bonnie was totally at ease.

It was another reason I loved him so much.

Still, there was something nagging at my insides. Something that told me there was something to be very cautious about. I would talk with Stefan after the wedding. There was nothing I wanted to ruin Bonnie's day.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I put my hand in Damon's and felt sparks. Literal sparks from the touch of his hands. _I can't wait for the honeymoon!_

The justice of the peace spoke softly, as it was just the six of us standing around in a circle. His thoughts at the beginning were almost offensive. _No, I am _not_ pregnant!_ I wished I could scream at him. But once the ceremony got underway, he must've seen the looks we gave each other, or felt the love, as his thoughts turned a full one-eighty.

He pronounced us husband and wife and I almost jumped onto Damon. He saw it in my thoughts, and he grinned widely at me, making me blush furiously. I saw his tongue snake out over his lips and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep the lustful thoughts away. He threw his head back, laughing loudly and then swept me up into his arms and kissing me until I couldn't breathe.

I heard the cheers from my friends behind us, and Damon's thoughts of love and previews of the night to come. He wouldn't tell me where our honeymoon would be, and at the moment, I couldn't bring myself to care. His hands, his lips, his _taste_. It was all I could do not to grab him and run.

The next thing I heard shocked me.

Elena screamed, Stefan's breath caught, and when Damon looked up he cursed.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"


	14. Chapter 14

_**OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! You guys rock! And to think, I was terrified of posting ANYTHING on here and you guys are really feelin' my work! I am so humbled, and honored at the same time.**_

_**At any rate, I told you I write as I see it, and the last chapter kind of unfolded as I typed it out. I had no idea where it would go at first, and then BAM! There it went. :)**_

_**This one was hard to finish…you'll see why. That's why it took me so long. And I'm trying to get it posted quickly before you lose interest, so if you happen to catch typos, please don't be offended! I will fix them, I promise!!**_

_**So, you really wanna know about Damon & Bonnie's first night together? I may just have to do that suggested one-shot to let you guys 'see' it. **_

_**Living vicariously through LJ Smith's characters…we're some sickos, huh?**_

**14**

_**Damon**_

If there was a God, He was surely laughing at me right now.

Not two minutes after I kissed my bride, _hell_ walked in the door.

I spoke before I could stop myself. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

She laughed and threw her head back, holding her midsection as if it would burst. I heard Bonnie clear her throat and the laugh went silent. "Ah, _amore_," she said, and Bonnie's breath caught.

I held up my hand to stop her. "I think I asked you a question."

She nodded and then looked at Bonnie. "I think your _bride_ has more of the question everyone else is thinking." She stepped toward Bonnie and I tightened my grip on her hand. "There is no need to fear, _bambina,_" she purred softly, turning her head and walking toward us as she spoke. She looked deranged. Her bright blue eyes were wide, and her jet black hair cascaded in waves down her back. She was dressed in a suit, which was unusual for me to see. I had never seen her dressed this way. Truth be told, I had never seen her in clothes period. Our _acquaintance_ had been of a sexual nature. "My name is Francesca Russo. Damon and I are…old _friends_."

Bonnie's eyes went straight to me and I could hear her thoughts turn _very_ angry. I looked down into her beautiful face and willed the tears to go away. She wasn't hurt, but she was damn curious, and in a way that could probably get me killed. Well, in the marital sort of way.

Francesca turned to me smiling; her eyes looking me up and down. "So very good to see you."

I nodded, but didn't take my eyes off Bonnie. "If you'll excuse me," I said reaching for Bonnie's waist and pulling her toward the lanai.

She broke from my hold as soon as we were out of sight of our guests. "Who the hell is _that_?" Her hands immediately went to her hips and she glared at me. If this wasn't such a horrifying turn of events I might've had to lift her dress and have my way with her right there. Her eyes narrowed at me and I could see she didn't quite share in my sentiments.

"She's one of us. A vampire, I mean." I knew she was looking for a better explanation with the reactions we had all had at Francesca's appearance in our home. "I…I…"

"You what?" Bonnie crossed her arms at her chest, pushing her lovely- _Oh, that look is so not good. Maybe I can just distract her with-_

Bonnie let out a loud breath and closed her eyes, bringing her tiny fists to rest on her temples. "I swear, Damon, if you don't tell me everything right now-"

I was at her side and kissing her with everything I had in me all in a fraction of a second. "I Changed her." I whispered into her kiss.

She let out a whimper and I knew what she was thinking. I had never told her I had Changed another woman, but I hadn't exactly told her I _hadn't_ either. In Bonnie's eyes it was a very intimate decision between lovers. She knew she wasn't the first woman I had had in my bed, but to know that she wouldn't be the first woman I Changed to be with me was killing her.

_Damn you, Damon._

Her thoughts hit me like a wrecking ball. I had repeatedly hurt her with my past. And what was worse was that she had accepted _everything_ about me before she became my wife, and I felt so very low by keeping this from her.

"Bonnie," I said softly, holding her face in my hands and not letting her run away from me. "Please believe me when I tell you she meant nothing to me. Never has, never will."

"But Damon-"

"I know. I couldn't bequest you the same gift you gave me, and you wanted _this_ one. Trust me when I say that _that_ is still yours and yours alone."

She closed her eyes and my heart shattered as a tear slid down her perfect cheek. _But you wanted her to be with you. That was why you Changed her._

"No," I said aloud. Yes, I could tell her everything with my mind, but this needed to be said aloud. "She was pure experiment."

Bonnie looked at me as if I had spoken in Italian; no comprehension whatsoever. "What does that mean exactly?"

I could tell her patience was wearing very thin, and I was suddenly very aware that she hadn't pushed me away yet, which was a very good sign. I had never had to back pedal with a woman. But then, none of them held my heart the way Bonnie McCullough did.

Correction, _Bonnie Salvatore._

My slacks started to feel very tight and I licked my lips as I read her thoughts. She wanted to go upstairs and begin our wedding night but thoughts of what _may_ have happened with Francesca had her warring with herself. "She was the first woman I exchanged blood with after Katherine. I wanted to know if she had made me as powerful as she said she would." I shrugged, trying to make it sound more casual than it had been.

I would never tell Bonnie how I had used Francesca in my attempt to forget Katherine and her betrayal. She would never know that I _had_ to exchange blood with this woman. One night after I met her, I drank her nearly dry while she was lying naked on my bed, highly intoxicated and begging me to take her. I had complied with her wishes, giving her exactly what she _wanted_, and taking exactly what I _needed_. And then I couldn't get enough of her. Her blood was the sweetest liquid I had ever tasted, even sweeter than the best liqueur, and I enjoyed getting drunk off her life source. She followed me wherever I went.

It continued like this until the night I killed her. And then she sought me with a vengeance.

I knew why she was here.

And I feared for my wife's life.

I looked into Bonnie's eyes and she was searching mine. "Did you love her?" She finally asked in a whisper.

"No," I said truthfully, pulling her even tighter into my embrace. "I've never loved any woman before you."

"Not even Katherine?"

_Ouch._ "No," I said through my teeth. "What Katherine and I had was _not_ love."

Bonnie studied me for a moment. "You're sure?"

"_Cara_, we just became husband and wife. I'd so much rather take you upstairs and _not_ sleep." I smiled at her, licking my lips and looking her up and down as best I could.

"But Damon," she said, turning her head to the side and taunting me with her jugular. "We have _guests_."

_They can be gone in an instant, cara. Just say the word…_

Bonnie grinned at me, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "No," she said, pulling me behind her and walking back into the great room. "I have another idea."

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

This woman, this other _vampire_, wanted my husband; that much was clear.

What was _not_ clear was how she knew about _me_.

Yes, she knew about me. That was why she was here. And if she wanted a fight, that was exactly what she was gonna get.

We walked back into the great room hand in hand. Elena and Meredith started the applause. It was like we had just walked into our reception, the blushing bride and the dashing groom. I caught Elena's eye and she looked worried. I waved her away with a flick of my wrist and smiled, grabbing on to Damon's arm and clutching his hand tighter. I leaned into him, and released my hold on his arm to pull his face down to mine. "I love you," I said, and kissed him sweetly before pulling his bottom lip into my mouth and sucking gently. A low moan escaped him and he grabbed my waist, pulling me into him and showing me just how _excited _he really was. I giggled and wove my hands into his hair, pulling him closer.

_Cara? What are you doing?_ Damon smiled brightly, tilting his head to the side and narrowing his eyes at me.

_I'm enjoying my _husband_. _I couldn't believe I could actually say that now. I heard a throat clear behind me and I turned slowly. Stefan was holding Elena by the hand and Alaric had his arm around Meredith's waist. They were all smiling at us.

"I think it's time for us to get going." Stefan looked like he blushed just slightly and the others just nodded. I didn't see Francesca. _She left,_ Stefan spoke silently and I nodded in acknowledgement.

I wasn't stupid. I knew Francesca would be back, and I could only assume it would be at an inopportune time…like when Damon and I were making love tonight. I blushed at the thought and I heard Damon's deep breath beside me. _Just wait_, I thought to him. _You're going to be begging me to let you have me later._

I saw Damon discreetly try to adjust himself and he swallowed loudly. "You're welcome to stop by in a few days. Before you leave."

I beamed. Yes, his politeness was totally for my benefit, but at the moment it was music to my ears. Genuine or not, the Salvatore brothers were actually being _nice_ to each other. In the morning it would all end, but for tonight I had the family I wanted.

We walked everyone to the door, and it had barely closed before Damon pulled me into his arms in a bone-crushing hug, kissing me and tasting every bit of me. I finally was able to pull away and looked deep into his eyes. "Give me five minutes, Mr. Salvatore, and I will make you the happiest man in the world."

Damon nodded, his eyes boring into mine, and it took all I had to turn and walk away from him. I sauntered up the stairs and heard every lustful thought as though he was screaming them at me. I turned over my shoulder and winked at him. "Five minutes."

I walked into our bedroom, quickly unzipping my dress and silently thanking the designer for making it so easily accessible in a hurried moment. I slipped the floor length white nightgown over my head, removing my undergarments in the process and took in a deep breath when I heard the door open behind me. I smiled and casually walked into our bathroom where I started lighting candles. I turned slowly and gasped at the sight before me.

Francesca stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest and looking at me as if I were the devil incarnate.

She cocked her head to the side and a slow, deadly smile swept across her face. "We meet again, _Signora Salvatore_," she said softly, and I could hear the venom dripping from her words.

I froze. In her head she was cursing at me, and I could tell she had no clue what would happen if she acted on her thoughts. Her assumption was that Damon and I were merely physically intimate, but that there had been no exchange. I smiled at her. "Francesca. What can I do for you?"

Everything happened very quickly after that.

I heard her screech something in Italian before she lunged at me, sending us both through the glass walls around my shower and straight through the other side.

The last thing I heard was Damon's agonized scream as he reached us too late.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Ha ha ha! I see you all liked the twist! I couldn't bring Katherine back…that was TOTALLY expected. I'll try and get this one out quicker.**_

_**I think this may officially be my favorite of the stories I've written now. **_

_**You may hear some words in here. Trust me, they were totally necessary to the plot. And it's not like teens everywhere don't hear them at school on a daily basis…**_

_**And I have the sequel to Shock To The System. I don't wanna post anything yet cause obviously this one's far from finished. So much for a one-shot, huh?**_

_**And oh snap! I've been invited to participate in a competition! I'm submitting Shock to the System PG, so if you've yet to read it, please check it out. No fear, fans o' mine, if The Clearing is finished, I'll submit it too! And we'll see which one remains in the competition. It's the Raven's and Flame: the official Damon/Bonnie fic competition! Check it out at www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Ravens_and_Flame_Competition/75391/. And remember who sent ya' and show me some love!**_

_**Now…on with the show!**_

**15**

_**Bonnie**_

_BONNIE! CARA! NO!!_

_What the hell is going on? _

_She came back, Stefan! How did you not _sense_ that?_

_You didn't either, Damon! Where the hell were you?_

_STOP! We have to find Bonnie!_

_Oh God…I see her…_

_BONNIE!_

Nothing made sense.

I could hear the screams from above me, but none of it made sense. _And Damon actually used Stefan's _name_? What was _that_ about?_

I tried moving my head but couldn't feel anything. Not my hands, not my legs, nothing.

It was obvious to me I hadn't survived that fall.

I opened my eyes to look around, since I was sure that was the only thing I could actually _move_. There was no sight of Francesca, which didn't surprise me. I just wasn't sure how long I had to wait here until my Change was complete.

Still, no one came down. Not even Damon, which I _really_ didn't understand. Where the hell was the crow when you needed it?

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

"BONNIE! _CARA_! NO!!"

I arrived upstairs just as both women crashed through the glass. What the _hell_ was I thinking buying a house with a damn glass wall!!

"What the hell is going on?" Stefan's words cut me, and I snapped my head back to the door where he and his _friends_ now stood.

_"She came back, Stefan!_" I roared. "How did you not _sense_ that?"

"You didn't either, Damon!" he yelled. "Where the hell _were_ you?"

"STOP!" Elena screamed at us. "We have to find Bonnie!"

The room was silent for a split second before everyone started moving. Meredith carefully maneuvered over the broken glass and peered down at the rocks and trees below.

"Oh God…" she whispered, "I see her…"

"BONNIE!" I heard my voice break before I knew it was actually _me_ speaking. _No, no, no, no, no! _

And then I stopped.

My Bonnie, my _cara_, _my wife_.

She would be coming back to me more powerful than she had ever been in her life.

I stood in the middle of our bedroom, frozen in both shock and disbelief. I vaguely heard Elena call my name from where she and Meredith stood in the shower, and then Stefan was shaking me. I blinked my eyes and looked at my brother wide-eyed. "Oh shit," I whispered. "What the hell did I do?"

"What?" Stefan's brows furrowed and he looked at me curiously.

"What I did I do to her? What if she comes back like…" I glanced at Elena where she stood watching us, and Stefan's gaze followed. "I couldn't bear it if she looked at me the way…"

I didn't finish. I didn't have to. Stefan knew exactly what I was getting at. And then I knew.

Bonnie was the most important thing in my life. I knew exactly how Stefan had felt when Elena had died as a human, and my heart felt like it would break in two.

Stefan nodded at me. "She'll be fine, Damon. You have to get down there to her. Now."

I nodded and made my way over to where the girls were standing. Elena put her hand on my arm and I slowly turned to look at her. _Be careful_, she thought to me. I stifled a chuckle.

_Obviously you've forgotten who you're talking you, Elena._ Her eyes widened and I smiled at her before launching myself out what was left of the glass wall and took the crow form.

* * * * * * *

I swooped down to where Bonnie's broken body lay, and when my now human feet touched the rocks at her head, my breath drew in raggedly.

She wasn't moving, and she wasn't breathing.

When she opened her eyes she would be like me, and as much as that excited me, it also scared the hell out of me. Neither Stefan nor I knew what would become of her, but we knew we were all about to find out.

Bonnie stirred under my gaze and when my eyes truly focused on her face I was stunned. Her beautiful curls were the brightest shade of copper, and the flush in her cheeks made my heart beat faster. It was like I was looking at a brighter version of her, as if a ray of sunshine had finally been shone on her.

_Ok, enough of the pansy thoughts. Open your eyes, cara. Let me see those pools of chocolate._

On cue, Bonnie's eyes fluttered open and she looked at me. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she jumped up into a crouch in front of me, growling low.

She had never looked sexier to me than she did at that moment in time.

_Cara, do you know me?_

Her eyes narrowed even further and she tilted her head to the side, studying me. She finally raised an eyebrow at me and smiled, standing straight out of her crouch. "It's about time, Damon."

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

My head was freakin' pounding!

_Where the hell is Damon?!_

I could hear the familiar beating of the crow's wings. _Well it's about damn time!_ I heard all the sappy thoughts running through his mind and it took everything in me not to throw up. Ok, so maybe that was a little harsh. But he _knew_ what would happen when I died. As a human, I mean.

_Ok, enough of the pansy thoughts. Open your eyes, cara. Let me see those pools of chocolate._

I hadn't realized he was so close, and his breath on my face startled me. I opened my eyes and instinct took over. Instantaneously, I was on my feet and in what I could only assume was a fighting stance. I had seen Damon stand like that in front of Stefan numerous times. But when I looked into my husband's face something was off.

He looked different, _totally different_.

The light reflected off his smooth black hair in rainbows. His eyes took on a jeweled tone. Where before they were beautiful black orbs, now they were like onyx, shimmering and gleaming where he stood. His arms, his chest, oh God…his _legs_…I could see every muscle defined to a tee as though he were standing completely naked in front of me.

_Cara, do you know me?_

Did I know him? Of course I knew him! But he had never looked like _this_ before!

My eyes narrowed and I cocked my head to the side, wondering how to say what I was feeling. I raised an eyebrow at him and smiled, standing straight. "It's about time, Damon."

His eyes widened at me in shock and then he cleared his throat and chuckled. "Ok," he said, dragging out the 'k'. "Totally not the reaction I expected."

I laughed lightly and walked over to him, stopping just in front of him and reaching my hand out to caress his cheek. His eyes closed as he stood very still. "I cannot believe what I missed as a human."

He moaned low in his throat and I closed my eyes, engulfing myself in his scent and the sounds he made. His hand snaked around my waist as he pulled me close to him, nipping my neck with his canines that were now fully extended. I opened my mouth just as my eyes opened and I saw his eyes widen again as I flicked my new canines with my tongue. _This feels amazing_.

He nodded. _Just wait, rossa. It gets even better._

His mouth came down on mine and our tongues fought against each other. His hands were all over me and I found myself wishing we could go back up to our room and start our honeymoon. I moaned into his kiss, and his mood intensified as he fisted the torn nightgown at my back. _Bonnie, I'm not sure how much longer I can wait…_

_Then don't,_ I spoke in my head, and laughed when he picked me up and starting running up the hillside. _Is everyone gone yet?_

"You tell me," he said, and I had to close my eyes before I stopped him and took him right then.

I listened closely, and not only could I _hear_ everyone clearly, I could _smell_ them too. They were… _mouthwatering_.

We reached the bathroom from the outside and stepped in, carefully avoiding the shards of glass on the floor. I heard Meredith gasp, and Elena's sobs stopped almost instantly when she caught sight of me. "What?" I asked with a giggle.

Both girls ran to me, crushing me to them in a hug, and asking so many questions my head started to hurt again. "Wait, stop!" I shrieked, holding my head. "One at a time!"

Meredith started to laugh and Elena joined her. I looked at both of them and burst into a fit of laughter myself and we fell against each other into a jumbled mess on the floor. I looked up at Damon and he winked at me, leaning against the entrance to our bathroom. Elena called my name softly. "Are you…?"

"No," I shook my head listening to the rest of her question. "There was no way I could've survived that fall." Meredith's eyes looked like they would fall out of their sockets. "Do you think _you _could've lived after all that?"

Meredith shook her head slowly. "What happened?"

I looked over at Damon and noticed he was staring at me just as intently as the rest of them were. "Well, I came up here to change into this," I motioned to the gown that was torn almost to shreds, "and when I turned toward who I _thought_ was Damon…it wound up being-"

"_Francesca_," Damon growled from where he stood, appearing to be lost in his thoughts. "When I find her-"

"No," I said, walking toward him and putting my hands on his chest. "I know you have issues with her. But Francesca…_is mine_."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I closed the door as our guests left and leaned against the door. This day seemed to go on forever. We had been pronounced husband and wife at dusk, and then not even an hour later, Bonnie had died as a human.

_What a way to begin your life together, Salvatore._

I turned to face where she stood at the top of the stairs and sighed. She stood silently, this time wearing a long black gown with a sheer robe over it. Black was my favorite color and it looked amazing against her creamy skin. She rolled her eyes at my thoughts and I sprinted up the stairs until I was standing directly in front of her. "How do you feel, _cara_?"

She cleared her throat and looked at me with the most intense expression on her face. "I want to -"

Images of vampires taking their victims in movies flashed through her mind and I laughed out loud, barely missing her hand as she smacked me across the arm. She blushed a bright shade of red, and though I knew that would come over into her new life, I hadn't really expected it to still affect me the same way. Every fiber of my being, every cell, stood at attention with the feelings a simple blush on my wife's face elicited. If I thought she was beautiful before, I had clearly been mistaken.

_My wife_…I was still amazed that we had gotten here. It seemed so long ago that she feared me as the creature I was. Truly, I did not deserve her, but she loved me anyway. Enough to marry me, and to willingly become what I was. I felt the awe creep back up over me.

_I really need to stop hanging out with Stefan._

_There!_ Bonnie gasped in her thoughts. _I knew I heard it earlier! You called your brother by his name!_

"Did you also happen to notice the circumstances?" I raised an eyebrow at her. "I was looking for my presumed dead wife. I didn't really have time to think of a good nickname for him."

Bonnie wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hummed into the crook of my neck. "Yeah well…" I felt her tongue trace circles up to my ear and I shuddered. "I think it may be time to head to our room and begin our wedding night properly. What do you think?"

As good as that sounded, I knew other things had to be taken care of first. "_Cara_, I want nothing more than to take you into our room and make love to you until the sun comes up -"

_Damnit! Her ring!_

With everything moving at such full speed I hadn't had her ring made yet.

Bonnie's eyes widened at me. "What do we do?" she asked, looking down at her wedding rings. Her diamond wouldn't save her when the sunlight shone into our bedroom tomorrow morning. And I refused to lose my wife when I had just barely gotten her.

"Pack a bag, _cara_. We're going to Florence."

* * * * * * *

_**Yeah, yeah…It just dawned on me that she needed a ring. **_

_**And no worries…we haven't seen the last of Francesca. **_

_**And we still have Bonnie's first 'meal' and they just HAVE TO get busy sometime…though we won't get to really see that. But I will try to work around that as best I can. **_

_**Are you excited to go to Italy with me? Should I bring the 'gang'? Talk to me! Your wishes are my command…Well, sort of. Ha ha!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Aw yeah! Gotta love reviews!**_

_**So the public has spoken. And please realize that I took everyone's opinions into consideration…and some people even pointed out some stuff to me! Brava!**_

_**I do not intend for this chapter to be cheesy…and Francesca WILL get hers. Please read and see.**_

**16**

_**Damon**_

"Pack a bag, _cara_. We're going to Florence."

I knew exactly where to go to get what I needed. I just wasn't sure he'd be very forgiving.

Vincenzo was a long time friend of my family, and he knew what we were. He feared us more than he let on and I had a feeling if he didn't have what we needed, he knew where we could find it.

He might even be able to give us some insight on what might become of Bonnie's Power.

"First we have to talk to my brother."

Bonnie looked at me quizzically. "Uh, why?"

I tried not to roll my eyes at her. Surely she could understand what we needed from him. "We have to borrow Elena's ring, of course." I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders. "Why else?"

"Damon," she said as she turned away from me. "What if she says no?"

I walked over to stand behind her and put my hands on her shoulders, rubbing them up and down and trying to keep my urges at bay. We had very little time. "_Cara_, Elena's dead to Fell's Church. And no one knows her here. So she can stay out of sight for a few days. I'm sure my brother can find _something_ for them to do indoors. Play cards, Monopoly-"

Bonnie elbowed me in the ribs and I felt actual pain when she connected. _Hm…strength is definitely there…_ I looked into her eyes as she turned her head to face me. "Then I guess we need to go see them."

* * * * * * *

We rounded the corner to the cottage where they were staying and stopped short. Alaric and Meredith were outside by the car, and it looked like they were leaving. "Hold on," I whispered over my shoulder to Bonnie, and she peeked over to try and see why we'd stopped.

We could hear them perfectly from where we stood. "Mere," Alaric's tone was pleading. "We can keep just as close of an eye on them from Fell's Church as we can from here. They're both in good hands."

_And what about _us_? _Meredith thought to herself. "Alaric, it's not _them_ I'm worried about. Have you thought what could happen to us if Francesca comes back to look for them?" _She wouldn't hesitate to kill us if she couldn't find Damon or Bonnie. _Meredith wrapped her arms around her torso, and Alaric went to hold her.

"Come on." I urged Bonnie out of the shadows and over to the car. "Meredith, Alaric." They jumped when they heard my voice and I crossed my arms in front of me. "Come inside. We all need to talk."

Stefan and Elena stood at the door, waiting for all of us. I nodded at him and he stepped aside to let us into the living room. "I assume you know why we're here." I said quietly and Stefan nodded. "Then, let's go this over with."

Meredith and Alaric looked back and forth between us. "Will someone please tell those of us who _can't_ speak with our minds what the hell is going on?" Meredith put her hands on her hips and stared at the rest of us. Bonnie let out a soft chuckle.

Stefan cleared his throat. "Well, since everything happened with Bonnie so rapidly, no one had time to ensure we had a ring to keep her safe in the daylight." He glanced at Elena. "So, while she and Damon go to Florence to have one made, she will need to use yours to be out and about." He looked into Elena's eyes as the tears began to collect. He pulled her into his arms and whispered to her, "It's only temporary, my love. You'll have it back soon."

"But what about Elena? Will she be safe without it?" Meredith asked from the corner where she stood now holding Alaric's hand.

"Sure," I said as I stepped forward. "At least we _think_ she will. There's no real way to know for sure, and I can't imagine her betrothed would allow us to test it." I nodded my head toward Stefan and he growled. "See? Besides, we're pretty sure she's _all_ human at this point."

Elena rolled her eyes at us and I chuckled. Her thoughts went back to her first days as a vampire herself, hiding out in Alaric's attic, unbeknownst to him. "Why don't you tell her what you were _really_ thinking, Damon?" She crossed her arms now and looked irritated. "You don't care if I'm all but locked away in some basement all day."

"No, you're right, I don't. And I seem to recall you've done it before" I glared at her and she began to shrink away from my gaze.

"Enough." Stefan said from where he stood by the fireplace. I was growing more impatient by the minute and time was running out. "Damon," he turned to me. "I understand your reasoning for wanting Elena's ring. And I get why you would think she'd be fine hiding out. But you still have yet to learn how to ask for things you want."

I rolled my eyes this time, and felt Bonnie's hand across my arm as she scolded me. "Elena," she said, stepping in front of me, "I _need _it. I promise you, as soon as we return from Florence, you can have your ring back. I know what it means to you, and I would never try to lessen its importance for you. But thanks to _Francesca_," none of us missed the disgust in her tone, "we don't have a choice. We _have_ to do this. Would you have Stefan go without _his_ ring?" Bonnie stepped closer to her and put her hands on Elena's shoulders. "Please Elena. Please do this for me?"

Elena looked at Bonnie and closed her eyes. Looking down she whispered, "Of course, Bonnie. You know I'd do anything for you."

The girls embraced and I blew my breath out in a huff. "Ladies," I said as I cleared my throat. "Please understand that while this 'love fest' warms everyone's heart, we really _are_ running out of time." To my surprise, everyone nodded, and Elena took the ring off her finger and placed it onto Bonnie's. _Jerk, _came Elena's internal voice. I chuckled softly as I turned toward the door.

"Thank you," she whispered, embracing Elena again and turning to me. "Let's go get our ring."

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

I must've fallen asleep on the sixteen hour flight. The last thing I remembered was boarding the plane and now Damon was gently shaking me. "_Cara_, we've landed."

I opened my eyes to the bright sunshine coming through the window in Rome. "Damon…" I breathed his name as we got off the plane, taking in the sights of the airport alone. Beautiful didn't even describe it. All around us people were speaking in Italian, which I now dubbed as the most beautiful language I had ever heard. Damon's eyes brightened as we stepped off the plane and it took my breath away. _He_ was beautiful…he was home.

Watching Damon in his element was indescribable. Hearing him talk to the drivers in the cab we took to get to Florence was absolutely stunning, and the way he smiled at passersby who had absolutely no idea what we actually were was amazing. As we drove the three hours to his family's villa in Florence, he pointed out various landmarks. We drove by the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum. Still none of them compared to the glorious creature sitting beside me.

I smiled internally as the thoughts ran through my head. We had rubbed off so much on each other without even realizing it. We had taken on a lot of each other's traits and habits, and I found our thoughts and words mirrored each other more each day. He must've heard my thoughts, and he grabbed my hand and kissed it before looking into my eyes and saying, "_Ti amo. Siete il mio tutto_."

I felt the blush creep over my entire body and Damon took in a deep, slow breath. He leaned over to whisper in my ear and his breath tickled as his tongue traced the shell of my ear. "I cannot wait to get you home, _rossa_. We still have yet to begin our honeymoon." I giggled softly and closed my eyes as I listened to him speak. My head dropped back into his hand and he came around and ran the tip of his nose from my collarbone to my chin, eliciting a shudder from me, and he chuckled. "And please don't misunderstand, Mrs. Salvatore, that won't be the only sound coming from your lips today."

My eyes flew open and I blushed again, sure that the driver had heard him. Damon laughed out loud, startling the driver and he looked in his rearview mirror at us. He put his hand on the inside of my knee and started to work his way up and I gasped. _What are you doing?! _

He chuckled from where he had started kissing behind my ear. _Relax cara, he can't see us. And he won't watch us unless you draw attention to us. I told him we're newlyweds. _

I relaxed a little and immediately tensed back up when his hand started travelling further up my thigh. _I am _so_ glad you decided to wear a skirt today, cara._

My eyes were wide as his hand traveled further and further up until my breath caught. _Damon, if you don't stop…_

He chuckled again and his hand stilled. _Ok, ok. But just wait. You may just be begging me to let you rest later._

God, I love Italy.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

The cab crept up the cobblestone drive and I watched Bonnie's eyes widen before she turned to look at me. "You _live_ here?"

I nodded, smiling. "When I'm in Italy, yes. Do you like it?"

Bonnie blinked quickly and tried to gather her thoughts before she spoke. "Um…_like_ is not the word. It's gorgeous!"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not home anymore."

Bonnie's brows furrowed at me. "I'm sorry? Where exactly is home then?"

I snuggled closer to her as the cab came to a stop. "Wherever you are."

_Oh nice, Salvatore. Very cheesy. _Bonnie thought to me as she kissed me. _But I love it. And I love you._

I chuckled against her kiss. _And I you. Have I told you how I can't _wait_ to get you upstairs?_

_ Oh really? And why is that?_

I skimmed over her chest lightly and she gasped, pointing at the driver with her chin. _Are you insane?_

I pulled back and looked her in the eyes. "_Signora Salvatore_," I said, and watched her pull her bottom lip between her teeth. "We're home."

She broke our gaze long enough to look up at the house before us. It was over four thousand square feet and covered in vines. I laughed lightly and pushed her chin up from where it hung open. "You haven't seen the inside yet."

The driver began to take our bags out of the trunk as I led Bonnie up to the door. "Ah, Marcella," I said, spreading my arms and embracing the maid. She shrunk away from my grip slightly and I heard Bonnie ask me silently if she knew what we were. I nodded at her question, smiling sweetly at the woman in my arms. "_è bello vedere._"

Marcella stuttered as she stepped back_. _"_Si, si Signore,_" she glanced at Bonnie, "_È questa la moglie del tuo._"

I urged Bonnie forward. "_Sì, mia moglie_." Bonnie blushed and looked up at me. "I just introduced you as my wife." I smiled wide. "I think it's the best thing I've ever said in my entire life."

Bonnie nodded. "Maybe not the sexiest, but definitely the best."

* * * * * * *

Marcella showed Bonnie around the house as I brought the bags upstairs. I stopped at the door to the master suite and smiled wide thinking about what would be happening in just a few short hours. I would be with Bonnie, as my _wife_. I would never tire of hearing her being called that. I sighed hearing her talking with Marcella downstairs and turned to join her, when movement outside the terrace window caught my attention. I was there in less than a second and grabbed Francesca's slim neck, cutting off her air supply. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" I growled fiercely.

She smiled and narrowed her eyes at me. "I came to console you. After all, you just lost your wife. And on your wedding day, no less."

_Bonnie must be shielding her thoughts again._ "And you thought I'd fall into your arms?" Francesca smiled. "I don't think so."

Her face fell and she closed her eyes. "ButDamon," she turned her head back and forth, loosening my grip on her throat. Her eyes popped open suddenly and she glared at me.

Bonnie's voice came closer as she climbed the stairs and Francesca's thoughts turned dark. _What the hell?_

I smiled, raising my eyebrows at her. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't Change her, did you? I_ love_ her."

Francesca grabbed my hand and squeezed my wrist until I let her go. She started screaming at me in Italian as she threw my hand away from her, but my focus was on Bonnie and her reaction when she saw Francesca in our bedroom. I heard her calling me every name that came to mind and I held my gaze on the door.

Bonnie finally walked in, a huge smile on her face. "Did you have your fun, Francesca?" Her eyes were alight with fury, and strangely enough, humor. "I heard you as soon as the car pulled up to the front door.

_How did I miss that?_ I asked her silently.

_Your thoughts were occupied_. She smiled at me and walked over to stand at my side.

"But, I saw you dead on the rocks!" Francesca sputtered.

Bonnie laughed, throwing her head back as she held on to my arm. "Oh I'm sure you did." She turned and kissed me deeply as Francesca's chest heaved. "But I was one step ahead of you." Bonnie held up her hand, showing Francesca the ring that sat on her right hand and Francesca's eyes looked like they would pop right out of her head.

"But how did you…?" Francesca looked between us in disbelief. "There's no way you could've been prepared for-"

Bonnie stepped in front of me oozing confidence that I had no idea she had. She smiled seductively and began to twirl her wedding ring as she glared at Francesca across from where she was watching me. "You had to have known Damon's feelings for me. He had this made months ago. The first night he told me he loved me."

Francesca stopped breathing altogether and she turned her head slowly from me, to Bonnie, and back to me again as everything sank in. Her eyes widened at me and then narrowed as she lunged for my throat.

Bonnie threw herself into Francesca's path and they collided almost mid-air with a loud crash. I tried to come to Bonnie's aid, but my feet wouldn't cooperate with my brain as I watched my _wife_ and a deranged lethal vampire _I_ created. I saw limbs flying but couldn't tell what belonged to whom.

That's when I noticed the wind pick up and the sky darken.

"Oh hell…."

_**Ha!**_

_**Think Bonnie's Power has anything to do with the weather? Hmm… 'Like husband like wife'?**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**I know, I know… It's been entirely too long! My sincerest apologies! But between the kids and getting the flu, and work…well you see my point.**_

_**Before you read, please note that while I will not get graphic, there will be mentions of "intimate behavior". I mean, c'mon people, they ARE on their honeymoon, right?**_

_**At any rate, I needed to write this from Bonnie's POV that would give her some justice. And today I got my inspiration…**_

**17**

_**Bonnie**_

I heard her from where I stood on the stairs. "ButDamon," she purred, and then she caught my thoughts as I let them free.

I started to talk about my beautiful surroundings and I heard Francesca's thoughts turn dark. _What the hell?_

Right on cue, Damon's silky voice rang through my ears. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't Change her, did you? I_ love_ her."

I stepped around the corner as Francesca grabbed Damon's hand from where it was attached to her throat, and squeezed his wrist until he released her. She started screaming in Italian as she shoved Damon away from her, but his eyes did not move from where he watched for me.

I entered the room fully, with the biggest grin I could muster under the circumstances. "Did you have your fun, Francesca?" I was trying desperately not to laugh at her. "I heard you as soon as the car pulled up to the front door.

_How did I miss that?_ Damon asked me in his thoughts.

_Your thoughts were occupied_. I smiled at my husband and walked to stand at his side.

"But, I saw you dead on the rocks!" Francesca sputtered.

I threw my head back laughing and held Damon's arm. "Oh I'm sure you did." I turned and kissed Damon passionately and I could hear Francesca's breathing get heavier. "But I was one step ahead of you." I held up my hand, showing Francesca the ring that sat on my right hand and Francesca's eyes looked like they would fall out of her head and roll across the floor. I stifled a laugh at the thought.

"But how did you…?" Francesca looked between us in utter shock. "There's no way you could've been prepared for-"

Instinct took over and I stepped in front of Damon. I could feel the Power within me, even though I had no idea where it was coming from since I had yet to feed. I assumed it was due to my ancestry…The Druid blood was taking over now. I smiled as I started to twirl my wedding ring, and glared at Francesca across from where she was watching us. "You had to have known Damon's feelings for me. He had this made months ago. The first night he told me he loved me."

Francesca stopped breathing altogether and she turned her head slowly between us as everything started to sink in. I saw her eyes widen and then narrow as she lunged for Damon.

Without thinking, I threw myself at Francesca and we smacked into each other with a loud crack. I could hear Damon's conflicting thoughts as he tried to decide how to handle what was happening in front of him. He couldn't move, though he wanted to. _Stay where you are_, I said silently, though I don't think he heard me.

The Power surged through me, and I could hear the thunder outside. I could smell the rain coming and though I knew the skies were perfectly clear when we arrived, I could only imagine my anger was eliciting this kind of a reaction.

"Oh hell…." I heard Damon say from across the room, but all I could see was red. _Everything_ took on a red tinge, which I assumed was the anger coming through. My hands clasped around Francesca's throat, and I tightened my grip.

"You have messed with the wrong woman, Francesca." My voice came out in a growl, surprising even me. I grabbed her hair in my right hand, pushing her shoulder down with my left, as we fell and skidded to a halt across the room. With a snarl I sank my teeth into her throat. The predator in me took over as I drained her as dry as was possible. When I was sated, I threw her body down in disgust, watching her twitch as the little bit of blood that was left in her veins sprayed out. Sensing someone else in the room, I spun into a crouch and straightened when Damon's wide eyes caught my own.

His mouth opened and closed without words and he pointed to Francesca's limp form on the floor. "I have never…seen anything…so _primal_." His eyes narrowed at me and I heard his conflicting thoughts. I saw myself in them, my chin dripping with my enemy's blood, and I immediately wiped my arm across my mouth, cleaning off the traces of my first meal.

He had been a predator himself for so long that he had forgotten what it was like to see things like this. Yes, he had virtually drained his own brother not so long ago during a fight, but this was different for him. This was his _wife_. And the next thought surprised him, though _I_ clearly saw it coming.

His state of arousal was in overdrive, and I almost had to catch him as he flew into me, his lips attacking mine in the most erotic display of passion I had ever seen. In the next second, he was carrying me over to the bed, flinging me toward the middle as I giggled. He held up a finger before he ran quickly over to dispose of Francesca's body, running into the bathroom and washing his hands, which elicited a laugh from me, and finally stopped at the foot of the bed and grinning devilishly at me.

My heart rate quickened and his eyes widened at me again as he pounced on me. Our first time together as husband and wife was nothing short of amazing. He kissed every spot visible to his coal black eyes, licked every crevice, and caressed every curve. His hands on my body felt like silk, and when we finally came to our completion hours later, every inch of my body tingled.

I rested my head on his chest as he chuckled quietly. "What?" I asked, drawing circles over his chest.

"I was just thinking…" His hands went to my hair, wrapping one of my curls around his long and slender finger. He brought it to his lips and kissed it reverently. After a night of him worshipping my body, I wasn't sure I could ever leave the bedroom, and he chuckled again.

"What?!" I shrieked, leaning up on my elbow to look at him.

Damon cocked his head to the side and looked at me, licking his lips in anticipation. My heart rate picked up again at his gaze and he smiled. "I was just thinking how sexy you are. And how even though I knew you could handle yourself against anything that stood in front of you, and you proved it last night, it went against every fiber in my being not to jump in and save you."

"Not that you _could_." His eyebrows furrowed and I smiled. "I heard every thought you had and you didn't act on any of them."

Damon shrugged. "I was stuck between horrified and extremely turned on. Looks like turned on won."

He wove his fingers into the curls at the back of my neck and picked up where we left off.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

The sight before me was both terrifying and invigorating. Bonnie, my Bonnie, was fighting with another vampire and wasn't having any problem in the least. Perhaps the weather had been a distraction. Or maybe she hadn't had her Power long enough to harness it. None of us had known what would become of it, and now I had been given a glimpse into what she could become.

In a movement that seemed like it was in both slow motion and fast forward, I watched Bonnie sink her very sharp canines into Francesca's throat as she convulsed beneath her. Bonnie's hand was wrapped firmly around Francesca's hair and she didn't stop drinking until she was sure the creature beneath her had stopped moving. She slunk off of her, breasts heaving with exertion, and glared at Francesca's wriggling form before stepping away from her.

I had never wanted my wife more than I had in that moment.

She must've heard me, because she spun in my direction in the familiar crouch I had only seen my kind do. Well, _our kind_ now. Her eyes were wide and wild, and in the split second before she relaxed her stance I heard her think about attacking me. The thought quickly disappeared and I watched her lick the remains of her meal off her lips.

_Holy hell, that is hot._

Bonnie wiped her face with her arm, seemingly embarrassed at my seeing her this way, as she stood straight. I couldn't find my voice. And suddenly, there was nothing else I wanted to do, but make love to my wife.

I felt her surprise as I flew at her. I knew I wouldn't be able to have her naked for me fast enough, and I attacked her fiercely. I picked her up quickly and tossed her onto the bed as she squealed in delight. _Damn…Francesca. _I held up my finger and rushed to dispose of Francesca's body. I would not have that _thing _ruin my evening romancing my wife. _I will never tire of saying or hearing that._ I ran into the bathroom and scrubbed my hands, which put Bonnie into hysterics, and finally stopped at the foot of the bed, grinning wildly at her, my intentions obvious.

This woman, who pledged her life to me, who let me make her my own… She was everything to me.

As I worshipped her, every fiber of my being was attuned to her. Her mind spoke to me as my hands roamed over her body. Her lips formed to my own. Her legs wrapped around my waist tightly and her breathing was in sync with mine. "I love you," I breathed into her kiss.

In the early hours of the morning, Bonnie rested her head on my chest. I chuckled quietly at her thoughts. "What?" she asked as she drew circles over my chest.

"I was just thinking…" I wrapped one of her curls around my finger, relishing the feeling of her in my arms, and kissing her hair. _I don't think I will ever leave the bedroom again. _ I heard her thoughts and I chuckled again.

"What?!" she shrieked, leaning up on her elbow to look at me, and dropping the sheet just enough.

I cocked my head to the side and watched her, licking my lips in anticipation of what was to come. I heard her heart rate pick up and I smiled. "I was just thinking how sexy you are. And how even though I knew you could handle yourself against anything that stood in front of you, and you proved it last night, it went against every fiber in my being not to jump in and save you."

"Not that you _could_." She said, and my eyebrows furrowed. She smiled. "I heard every thought you had and you didn't act on any of them."

I shrugged. "I was stuck between horrified and extremely turned on. Looks like turned on won."

She smiled again and we continued where our night left off.

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

"I told you, she was _taken care of_," I said quietly into the phone. Elena's questioning was giving me a headache. "You won't have to worry about her anymore."

_"But are you sure you're ok?"_ she asked.

"I'm fine. I promise you, I've never been better." I'm sure she heard the double meaning in my statement. I _was_ on my honeymoon for cryin' out loud!

_"Ok,"_ she sighed. _"Have you had any luck with the ring?"_

We were visiting Vincenzo today. "Um, we will. We're going into the city today. Damon seems to think he knows exactly where to find him."

In truth, Damon was sure we could _find_ him. He was positive Vincenzo knew we were here, and was in hiding. I figured he knew him better than anyone so he would have no reason not to know. He said there was no way we would _not_ to be able to find him.

I, on the other hand, was terrified that we would fail.

I knew Elena didn't _need _her ring anymore, but until she got an actual engagement ring from Stefan, there was no way she'd ever relinquish her ring to me. We _had_ to find him. I couldn't go home without it.

"_Cara_," Damon called from downstairs. "Are you ready?"

He walked into the room and I heard his breath catch in his throat. His eyes grazed over my pale yellow sundress, stopping at the strappy sandals and going back up to my face.

I twirled dramatically, grinning like a schoolgirl. "Do you like it?"

He nodded slowly, and then looked deep into my eyes. "I am more proud to call you my life everyday."

"You mean your wife."

Damon walked toward me. "No, I mean my _life_. Bonnie, I never realized how much one person could love another until you called for me. Do you remember that night in the clearing?"

_How could I forget?_ "Of course I do."

"Will you tell me now why you called me?"

I started to shake slightly, and he reached out and took my hands. "I…I…"

He put a finger on my lips. "I knew you loved me. Even then. I wanted you to tell me, but I knew I had to wait for you. I hadn't stopped thinking about you since I left you. I just wanted you to know."

I had no idea how to follow that. _How the hell do I come back with something that sounds as eloquent as that?_ "Damon, I think I knew I loved you the moment I met you."

He chuckled and pulled me into his arms in a solid embrace. "You mean when I scared the hell out of you?"

I punched him lightly in the side. "You know what I mean."

I felt him nod against my hair. "I do." He pulled my face up by my chin to kiss me. "Now let's go find you a ring."

_**What you expected? I was gonna leave you a cliffy, but I decided against it. There's been a ton of action in this one, so I figured I'd be nice. **_

_**Next chapter will be about finding Vincenzo. **_

_**And I see you all favoriting this one, but I get no reviews…Awfully quiet folks!**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Yes, been entirely too long again. Damn RL keeps kickin me when I'm down. =(**_

_**And I'm still trying to see when this story will come to a close. And then…do I write a sequel? Ah! Guess I can worry about that later, right? **_

_**On with the show!**_

**18**

_**Bonnie**_

I had seen enough of the sights to know when we were in the "slums" of the city.

People no longer said hello to you, or looked you in the eye. If I wasn't in my current state I might've been pretty scared.

Of course the man standing next to me might've helped that situation some too.

I felt Damon's hand caress my arm as we walked. "You ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah, just a little nervous."

He chuckled lightly. "Now _cara_, what exactly would you have to be nervous about?"

I shrugged. "What if he says no?"

We stopped walking and Damon turned me to look at him. "No matter what happens with Vincenzo, I will not allow anything to happen to you. If I have to surrender my ring for you, I will." His eyes bore into mine with truth. "Never question my love for you. Or my commitment to making you happy."

I smiled. _I could never doubt you._

Damon nodded, hearing my thoughts, and pulled my face to his, kissing me slowly and letting his feelings overtake me through his kiss. No, I would never doubt his feelings ever again.

We began to walk down a dark alley and I giggled.

_Care to share the joke?_

I nodded. _Just thinking of the cliché we're living right now. Two vampires walking down a dark alley. It was comical._

Damon shook his head as he smiled. _Only you, cara. No one else would've found humor in this situation._

_Not necessarily_, I thought to him. _I'm sure Stefan and Elena would. Maybe even Meredith and Alaric. Course they would know the vampires were on their side, so I don't think they'd be scared._

Damon stiffened and raised his head slightly, looking from side to side with only his eyes. _We're here_.

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I knew exactly when we had reached Vincenzo's shack. I could smell the rancid bodies of his minions who thought they had no need for bathing. _Filthy, disgusting pigs…_

Bonnie's face snapped to face me. _Damon! _

_ What? Only you can hear me._ She giggled, realizing that we had spoken with only our minds for the past few minutes. _Besides, he knows he's filthy. But he's still the best damn jeweler I've ever known. And I wouldn't trust your ring to anyone else._

She nodded quietly and stepped into the small room right behind me, still holding my hand.

Vincenzo sat at his tiny table, inspecting the jewels through the glass case he had been handed by one of the putrid peasants that had left just before our arrival. He didn't look up, but spoke to us boldly. "Salvatore," his voice boomed in the confines of the small space. "What brings you here?"

I released Bonnie's hand and crossed my arms on my chest. "If you knew I was here, you must know _why_." I could feel Bonnie inching closer to me until her breasts skimmed my arm. I looked down at her and smiled, wrapping my arms around her again.

"Oh I do, I just wanted to hear you ask. You never ask for things anymore, Salvatore." Vincenzo looked up at us and raised an eyebrow at the beautiful woman in my arms. "You _demand_."

I nodded slowly. "Very well, Vincenzo." I looked Bonnie up and down and looked back at Vincenzo. "I'd like to introduce you to my bride, Bonnie Salvatore. Bonnie, this is my jeweler, Vincenzo Cammareri."

I saw his eyes rake over my wife and I growled low. _Easy baby_, her eyes said to me when I caught her gaze. _You can't stop him from looking._

_ You're right,_ I thought to her. _But I _can_ stop him from breathing if he doesn't stop thinking about seeing you naked._

Her eyes bulged at my thoughts and she looked back at Vincenzo, who now sat grinning from ear to ear. "Mr. Cammareri, my eyes are up here," Bonnie said fiercely and pointed to her face. I couldn't help but smile at the grin that spread across my face at my wife's words. "Can we get down to business now?"

Vincenzo's eyes widened and his smile grew bigger. _Bad choice of words, cara._ Bonnie shrugged. "Damon, please?"

I cleared my throat and stepped forward slightly, Bonnie's hand on my arm. "Vincenzo, you obviously know why we're here. My bride needs a ring."

Vincenzo's eyes traveled down to her hand, noting the huge diamond on her left hand. "Uh, Salvatore-"

"No, Vincenzo, you know what I mean."

Vincenzo's eyes widened again and his breathing started to pick up. "She's…she's one of _you_?"

I smiled and nodded. "So you need to get on it right away. We'll be leaving Italy in 3 days." I looked down at my watch and back at him. "So that gives you twenty four hours before I return for my ring." Vincenzo's eyes widened even further and he started to stutter something. "And don't disappoint me. You know how angry I can get."

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

"What did you mean back there?" I took off my earrings and laid them down on the counter by the dressing table. I looked at Damon over my shoulder as he was undressing. _Sexy as hell and all mine…_

Damon smiled and raised an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean?"

"When you mentioned how angry you can get. What did that mean?"

He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. His kisses on my shoulder sent chills down my spine and I could feel his smile against my neck. "Do you like that? When I kiss you here?"

"Mm hmm.." I let my head fall back onto his shoulder as he bent and kissed my skin as the strap of my bra came down with his fingers. "I enjoy everything you do. You're so good at it all…Even trying to distract me."

I heard him chuckle from my shoulder and I turned to look at him. "Is that what I'm doing?"

"Of course it is. You know what you're doing." I turned around in his arms and faced him fully. "There's nothing you can say at this point that would drive me away from you. And remember, I've seen you at your worst."

Damon's expression changed. I could tell he was thinking about everything from the moment we met until we kissed that first time. "I think you know. Bonnie, I was always fairly…_vocal_."

I raised my eyebrows, urging him to continue. "Yeah, that was always pretty obvious. I can't think of anything you've wanted to say but didn't." He rolled his eyes at me. "But that still doesn't explain. He knows what you are, what _we_ are. How does he know?"

Damon took my hand and led me to sit on the bed. He knelt in front of me. "_Cara_, a long time ago, I met an old man who knew what I was and didn't fear me. He actually _embraced_ me. It was an odd feeling to have someone know the truth and not run. You'll find very soon that that isn't the normal thing amongst our kind." I nodded and smiled. "At any rate, I spent a lot of time with him. When he died, I was introduced to his young grandson."

"Vincenzo?"

He nodded. "He was fourteen when we met. His grandfather had told him about me and he came to Florence to look for me. We talked and got to know each other, primarily because he wanted to know what the old man saw in me. He always said I was good, but I think it was because he never saw the real me."

I shook my head. "No," I said and took his face in my hands. "_I_ see the real you. And I love every bit of it."

He smiled, taking my hand and kissing my palm. "I love that you love me so deeply. I wasn't kidding when I said you changed me."

"I know. Please continue."

Damon sighed and came to sit next to me. "Well, as Vincenzo got older, he noticed I never aged. So one day he asked me my secret. I laughed at his reaction when I told him the truth."

I knew my eyes were wide, and I felt like I was leaning forward with every word. "You told him? What happened? What did he say?"

He laughed. "Well, at first he didn't believe me. And then he asked me if I would bite him and grant him immortality as well. He shrunk back away from me in cowardice when he saw my canines."

I nodded in understanding. I had seen those before I was Changed and I knew how frightening they could be. "So, then what happened?"

Damon shrugged. "We didn't speak for a long time. After I refused to give him his wish he was angry with me. So when I came back to Italy about ten years ago, I ran into him, at a bar of all places. He did a double take, and when he was certain it was me, he flew into a rage. Now normally I don't care who knows what I am, but he began to hurl insults at me, speaking of things which he knew nothing about. And I got angry…_very_ angry. I flew across the bar and pinned him to the wall, my teeth were mere centimeters from his throat and I could smell the blood flowing just under my fingers."

I felt my chest start to rise and fall at a quicker pace, and I licked my lips at the picture he had painted in my mind. Between the thought of blood, and the thirst it had just raised in me, and the image of my husband…powerful, assertive and aggressive…I couldn't figure out which was producing the strongest feelings in me. "Mm hmm…" was all I could muster.

Damon noticed my expression and raised his eyebrows at me. "Do I need to stop? I don't have to go on."

"No, no," I shook my head and grabbed his hands. "I'm listening."

He chuckled again. "Well, I didn't kill him, nor did I Change him. I heard each conflicting thought go through his head, but the one that was most prominent was fear. He wanted the immortality but didn't want the pain associated with his Change. So, I slapped him lightly on the cheek, let him fix his clothing, and watched him walk away. But not before I promised him that I would be watching him. Always watching. I know he looks over his shoulder frequently when he feels a change in the wind, or sees a black animal."

I knew that feeling well, too. I had done the same thing before I called for him that night in the clearing. And I was sure I had driven Elena and Meredith completely nuts with it as well. He chuckled at my memories and looked out toward the balcony. "Yes, you did. But there was one difference. _You_ were right."

I pulled his face toward me so I could look into his eyes. "Wait…what? You were there?"

Damon smiled. "I was there. Every time you saw the black cat in the road, every time the wind picked up while you were walking, that was me. I told you all this."

"No, you didn't. You told me you had loved me all that time." I tried to probe his thoughts but _he_ was now blocking _me_. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Bonnie, my sweet Bonnie…" He cupped my face in his hands and peppered kisses along my cheeks and over my nose up to my forehead. "If I had told you I watched you I would've frightened you. And I wanted you to want me without the influence of all of that. So I chose to remain hidden. But I'm not hidden from you now."

I smiled and leaned further in to catch his lips with my own. I heard the raindrops start to pelt the rooftop. As I kissed him I rose up so I was kneeling over him. "Do you hear that?"

"Mm hmm," he whispered against my mouth. "Can you hear this?"

I gasped at his thoughts now flowing freely. He was picturing us in the rain, standing against a tree, loving each other everywhere on the grounds of the villa. "Let's go."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

Bonnie grabbed my hands and we ran out into the rain, which was now pouring down in torrents. She stopped in the middle of the courtyard and spun around, launching her tiny body into my arms and capturing my mouth in a searing kiss. "Damon," she whispered into my kiss. "I love you."

"Ah, _cara_, I will never tire of hearing you say that." I fisted my hand in her curls, now dripping down her back and pulled her head back to lick her throat. "I will spend the rest of my existence showing you how much I love you."

We made love under the trees, in the rain, as we professed our love for one another. It had never felt more real to me than it did that night. I would never have to let her go. I'd never have to worry about outliving her, we could be together for the rest of our lives.

The next evening we made our way back down to Vincenzo's shop and we both saw the shudder through his body as we entered the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore," he shouted as he rose from his seat and came to stand in front of us. "I have your ring. Just give me a moment."

We watched him scamper into a small room behind his work table and Bonnie turned to me. _How do we know we can really trust him?_

_Easy,_ I smiled and brought her hand up to my lips. _He doesn't know I can hear his thoughts. So I would know if he were trying to pull one over on us. Easy cara. I'll take care of this._

Vincenzo came back into the room, his eyes roaming over Bonnie hungrily before he noticed me glaring at him. "Um, yes, so here it is." He stretched his hand out to hand me a small black box.

"_Cara_," I said, handing it to her for her to open. "I believe this belongs to you."

She opened the lid of the black satin box and gasped at the ring seated inside. She turned it to me and I smiled widely.

The band was woven intricately into a circle and seated high atop one of the "branches" was the beautiful lapis lazuli stone. It reminded me of the night she and her friends had almost died, and I frowned. Not exactly the memory I wanted her to think about when she looked at it, but she looked back up at me and smiled. "It's perfect," she said sweetly.

_We'll talk about this later,_ I said silently, and watched her nod, still smiling.

"Put it on me?"

I nodded and reached for her right hand, removing Elena's ring and replacing it with her own. The blue stone shone brightly in the dim light of Vincenzo's shack, and I found myself wondering how bright it would be in the sun. I bent my head down and kissed her finger, looking up at her with only my eyes, and her breath caught as she met my gaze. _I love you,_ she said to my mind.

I smiled before I straightened and turned to Vincenzo. "Did you test it? In the sun, I mean."

Vincenzo's eyes widened and he clutched his chest. "Uh…no. How would I-"

I stepped in front of him and watched the blood move quicker through his veins. "There are others of my kind here. Surely you were aware of that?"

Vincenzo shook his head furiously. "No, no I didn't."

_He's lying,_ Bonnie thought from behind me. I nodded, but didn't look at her, my eyes trained on the little man in front of me. "Now Vincenzo," I said quietly, coming closer to him with each word. "I cannot have my bride harmed. You will test this ring. If it is a pure lapis lazuli, whoever you test it on will be fine. If not, they will burn and crumble in the sun…and you will be rid of one more of our kind." Vincenzo relaxed visibly at my statement. I lowered my head and glared at him. "But please understand, if this ring was at all counterfeit that tells me you intended to hurt my wife. And I absolutely cannot have that. Are we clear?"

Vincenzo's heart rate raced again, and he nodded violently. "Mr. Salvatore, I assure you this ring is one hundred percent real…pure…I mean-"

I held up my hand to stop him. "Test it. We'll be back in the morning. If nothing happens to your test subject then you will receive no harm at our hands. But if not…" I looked at him and waited for his response.

"Yes sir, I understand." Vincenzo looked down at his work table and then back up at Bonnie. "May I have your ring, Mrs. Salvatore?"

She looked up at me as if to ask my permission. I nodded and she slowly took the ring off her finger, handing it back to the decrepit man in front of us. "Vincenzo," she whispered, purely for his benefit as she was fully aware I could hear her from around the world. "I'm sure I don't have to remind you that he means what he says. He _will_ kill you if there were ever any bad intentions with this ring."

Vincenzo nodded and glanced over at me. As much as I wanted to smile with pride at my wife, I kept my composure and instead crossed my arms over my chest. "I swear to you, Mrs. Salvatore-"

Bonnie put her hand up almost touching his lips. "Please Vincenzo, just test the ring. We'll be watching." She turned on her heel and walked toward me, grasping my hand and leading me out the door.

* * * * * * *

It was nearly dawn when Vincenzo arrived at the villa with a small peasant girl behind him. She was clearly one of us, and kept glancing around as if she were expecting someone to jump out from behind a bush to attack. Bonnie and I stood at the window overlooking the courtyard. "Are we just gonna wait here?" she asked softly.

"Would you prefer to be down there and witness it all?" I said over my shoulder.

Memories of Elena in the tomb, giving her life to save me and my brother raced through her mind and I turned to embrace her. "No, I don't think I could watch that again, even if it were someone I had no ties to."

"I know. That's why I didn't suggest it. We'll be fine here. We can see everything perfectly from where we are." I felt her nod against my chest and we waited.

The sun began to rise and after what seemed like hours, the girl stepped into the courtyard, dropping the hooded robe that had shielded her. She looked up at me, then looked at Bonnie, and back to me. "_È che la sua?_"

I nodded. "_La mia moglie._"

She looked at Bonnie again. "_Mi auguro che si vale la pena._"

I nodded again. "What did she say?" Bonnie asked softly from my side. We had shifted while the girl down below had spoken.

"She said she hopes you're worth it."

I heard her gasp and I looked down at her, capturing her chin with my hand. "Bonnie, I have never had any doubt you were worth it."

She lowered her head and hugged me tighter against her. We watched quietly as the girl below us closed her eyes and raised her head toward the sun. Within minutes she was breathing heavy and I wrapped my arms tighter around Bonnie. "What's happening?"

"I don't know…"

We watched for a few more moments as the girl dropped to her knees, screaming in Italian. She finally collapsed to the floor, clutching her chest and sobbing uncontrollably. Vincenzo ran to her side and scooped her into his arms. "Natalia," he chanted over and over.

"Oh no…" I realized now who this girl was, and I felt his heart breaking in his chest.

"What?" Bonnie whispered.

"Natalia…is his daughter."

_**So, Vincenzo's own daughter is a vampire. Maybe that was the reason for his rage after seeing Damon at the bar…? I hope that was evident.**_

_**With Easter Sunday coming up I will probably not get a chance to write again for a while. A couple weeks tops, hopefully. I will keep you posted, I promise.**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Wow! What responses from that last chapter!**_

_**My apologies for taking so long…no excuses, I just had a lot going on and didn't get to it. But I realize I can't leave you guys hanging too long! And most will be revealed in this chapter, so I hope it doesn't go on forever. If it starts to I may divide it so your eyes don't get tired. **____** See? I'm thinkin' about you!**_

_**So without further adieu…**_

**19**

_**Bonnie**_

We stood and watched as the girl below us closed her eyes and raised her head like she was worshipping the sun. Suddenly her breathing picked up and I felt Damon's arm wrap me a little tighter. "What's happening?" I asked quietly

"I don't know…" He said beside me.

Then the girl dropped to her knees, screaming in Italian and finally collapsed to the ground, clutching at her chest and screaming while she cried. Vincenzo ran to her side and gathered her into his arms. "Natalia," he whispered over and over.

"Oh no…" Damon whispered above my head.

"What?" I asked in alarm.

"Natalia…is his daughter."

Without thinking I shoved away from Damon and was over the balcony in an instant. I knew he was behind me, but he couldn't stop me as I ran to Vincenzo's side. "Get her out of the sunlight!" I screamed at him, and he looked at me through teary eyes. _He doesn't understand me, or he doesn't understand what's happening!_

I grabbed the girl and ran into the shadows of the trees, cradling her like a baby, and finally set her down in the shady overlay of the trees. She finally opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Are you ok?" I asked quietly, wishing desperately that I had learned more Italian from Damon and Stefan when I had the chance.

Her eyes narrowed at me, and when she could finally see me clearly, she pulled away and launched herself as far away from me as she could get. _Well _she_ sure got her strength back. _

She pointed her slender finger at me and started speaking in Italian. "You know I don't understand anything you're saying, right?" I asked, leaning over onto one hip and crossing my arms across my chest.

She blinked a couple of times and then spoke. Her English, though broken, came out with the most beautiful accent. "You are not normal."

"Gee, thanks," I said wryly, stepping forward just slightly. Natalia tensed up and I stopped moving. "Although I'm not sure what you mean exactly."

"So… much… power…" Natalia grabbed her temples and started to shake her head. "I do not understand."

Damon walked into the shade with us then. "The ring isn't a fake."

We both turned to look at him, my expression bewildered, Natalia's confirming. "Then what was all that?" I asked, turning to face him fully.

"It had nothing to do with the ring. It appears we underestimated things." Damon frowned and walked around us in a circle. "Bonnie, do you remember when Stefan and I were discussing what might happen when you were Changed?" I nodded, urging him to continue. "I'm not positive exactly, but your Power is more intense than even _I've_ ever seen. I think maybe when you touched the ring last night, your life essence…"

"What?!" All the dramatics were beginning to get on my nerves.

"Your life essence was all over the ring…" He choked up slightly and looked at me. "I…I don't…"

I walked to stand directly in front of him. "Damon, please," I took his face in my hands and made him focus on my face. "You need to tell me what you're thinking. I can't hear your thoughts. I don't understand."

His brow furrowed as a thought occurred to him. "You can't hear me?"

"No…And now you're scaring me."

Damon sucked in a deep breath. "We need to talk to Vincenzo."

* * * * * * *

_**Damon**_

I wasn't sure until I saw Bonnie leap from the balcony, into the sunlight. She was wearing Elena's ring, but last night when she touched the ring Vincenzo had made, I noticed a sparkle in the stone. Not one I had ever seen, and I had been witness to plenty of vampires and the rings they had made. There was a distinct sparkle when it touched her skin, and though I thought I had imagined it, now I knew.

As I watched Natalia writhe on the ground, Vincenzo hovering over her protectively, I knew there was something more to her Power. This wasn't ordinary. I heard Natalia tell her in Italian, _You're one of them!_ But I had never met one.

Until my bride became one of us.

I had heard stories from some time ago about the hybrids, but I had always understood them to be part vampire and part, well, anything else. Never had there been stories of hybrids with Druid blood combined with a vampire. At least none that I had ever heard.

Leave it to me to put it to the test.

We sat in Vincenzo's shack as he began to speak. "That night, just about ten years ago…Damon, you remember," he said pointing to me. I nodded as he continued. He glanced over at Natalia where she sat in the corner watching us. "That was about a week after I found her. She had been drained almost dry and she was shaking." In my head I saw Francesca as she lay dying after Bonnie drained her. Totally different circumstances, but the picture was almost the same. Bonnie must've seen the same thing because when I caught her eye she was licking her lips.

"I nursed her back to health, or as healthy as I thought she should be. I walked into that bar that night to drown my sorrows when I saw you. I begged you to change me into what you were and you refused. My wife was dead, my daughter now the _walking_ dead, and all I wanted was to be able to stay with her." His eyes were on his feet, and his expression was very sad. "Now I watch her, every day, getting older while she remains stuck at nineteen. And there's nothing I can do about it." He looked back up at me, tears in his eyes, and then put his head in his hands and cried.

At that moment I realized what my life would have been like had Bonnie not been Changed. Though I would never let Vincenzo see it, a small shudder escaped me. No one could've prepared me for the feelings now coursing through me. Longing, desperation, despair…and I knew though they were not my own and I was feeling Vincenzo's memories, I understood them clearly. "So what do we do now?" Bonnie asked from where she sat watching everyone in the room.

"You obviously have more Power than you realize, young one," Vincenzo said simply. "I could feel it in Natalia when I held her. Her body felt like electricity was flowing through her." He looked at me and I nodded in confirmation. "Your ring is very special. You must never be without it. I'm not sure what would happen if it came off."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Like Damon's, right?"

Vincenzo shook his head slowly, his eyes on me. I knew she needed to know but I wasn't sure how much information she could take right now. I held up my hand to him. "_Cara_, let's go home. I'll explain everything there."

She was unsure, and her thoughts were beginning to filter through whatever had hidden them from me earlier. _I'm scared Damon,_ shot through my mind as clearly as if she'd shouted it. I took her hand and kissed her quickly. "I know," I said softly. "I'll tell you everything I know."

* * * * * * *

We reached the villa and before I could say anything, Bonnie attacked me with feverish kisses. Her hands were everywhere, removing clothes from both of us before the door was even closed. We collapsed in a heap in the foyer, touching and kissing each other before we finally made love, quietly worshipping each other's body. The fear of the unknown was stifling, and we knew we would have to discuss it very soon, but for now, the need to be one consumed us.

Just before dawn, still wrapped in each other, Bonnie turned to me. "Damon, I'm scared."

"I know, _cara_," I said to her as I smoothed her hair off her face. "I will tell you everything I know."

We walked upstairs without speaking, crawling into bed and holding each other. I could hear her heart racing and I caressed her cheek in my attempt to soothe her. "Listen to your heart fly. I promise you, _cara_, I will protect you at all costs."

Bonnie nodded beside me. "I know you will. It's just the fear of not knowing. Did you ever have to deal with this before?"

I shook my head and rubbed my chin across her head where it lay on my chest. "No. But I've heard stories."

"Stories of what?"

"Hybrids." Bonnie raised her head and looked up at me, searching my eyes for answers. "A long time ago there were legends told of vampires and other beings mating, or creating something entirely different."

Her eyes widened. "Like in that movie where the vampires and werewolves got together?"

I chuckled. "Yes, something like that. They were merely legends told to us by handmaids when we were young. Meant to scare us into not staying up past our bedtime, I assume. The night was always full of creatures when we were children. But when my brother and I were brought into this life, _we_ became the demons we feared so much when we were growing up. After that there was nothing to fear. I had never encountered the hybrids myself, so I never thought they really existed." I looked down at her, watching me so intently. "Until now, that is."

Bonnie's expression changed and she frowned. "So am I bad?"

Instinctively, I shot up, knocking her over. I grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her reverently. "No, Bonnie, you could _never_ be bad." She nodded against my kisses and I could feel the tears falling down her cheeks. "I know your heart, and there's nothing bad in there."

"So, what happens now?" She looked at her ring, now sitting firmly in place on her right hand, and then back at me. "Vincenzo said I'm not to take it off. Is it because I've touched it?"

I shrugged. "I believe so, though I don't know for sure. I'd like to talk with Stefan first." Bonnie's eyes widened and she smiled. "What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"You just called your brother by name. And it wasn't in your normal disgusted tone." She traced circles on my chest and smiled. "I like you two getting along, even if he has no idea about it." She giggled lightly.

I rolled my eyes at her, pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead. "I love you, my beautiful wife."

"I love you too, my husband."

* * * * * * *

_**Bonnie**_

We boarded the plane and I turned slowly to look at the beautiful city we were leaving. Life had changed so drastically before we arrived, and now I knew nothing would ever be the same again. Damon held my hand, caressing my thumb with his. He caught my eye every now and again, smiling brightly at me before he looked away and out the window.

I could hear his thoughts clearly now. He was just as scared as I was.

The flight seemed to take less time as we headed back to California. I knew the others had already gone back to Virginia, and suddenly I felt the need to have them close to me again. I felt Damon squeeze my hand again as he nodded. He pulled out his phone and dialed the all too familiar number.

Elena answered on the first ring. "Damon?! What happened? Is it Bonnie?!"

I grabbed the phone from him, rolling my eyes and shaking my head. "Now when are you gonna get it through your head that I'm _fine_?" I growled.

Elena gasped on the other end. "Oh thank God! Where are you guys?"

"We just landed in LA. Is there any way you guys could all come back out? There are things we need to discuss." I bit my lip nervously.

Elena put the phone lower and covered the speaker. _Yeah, like I can't hear_ that. She came back on the line quickly, excitement oozing from her voice. "We'll be on the first plane out."

"Oh, and Elena," I started, glancing over at Damon quickly, "I think Matt needs to hear this too."

"Sure…" she said slowly. "But I don't think he's gonna agree to it. I'll ask."

"Thanks," I said as I cleared my throat. I handed the phone back to Damon, mouthing 'thank you' and he nodded.

We drove in silence, and I could tell he was thinking about what we would say to the others. "I don't know," he said, answering the question I had asked in my head.

"Do you think Stefan will have any more insight in what's going on with me?" I hung my head, not really noticing, but flinching slightly when Damon's cold hand lifted my face by my chin.

"_Cara_, there's nothing _wrong_ with you, so please stop thinking that."

"I'm not-"

"Bonnie, I know you. And I can hear your thoughts, anyway."

"You can?"

"Yes."

My face must've shown my confusion because Damon began caressing my cheek. "I am so lost…"

Damon nodded. "I know the feeling. For the first time in my life I have no clue what's going to happen next. It unnerves me."

I nodded this time. I understood completely how he felt, and it didn't make me any happier. "So, what happens when we get home?"

The look in his eyes as we entered the gate told me everything I needed to hear.

* * * * * * *

_Talk about déjà vu…_ I thought as I opened the door to my best friends. Twenty four hours after my new husband and I returned from our honeymoon, we were faced with _this_. And I had no idea how to broach the subject with them.

"Well, I'd love to be able to say this is a welcome visit, but considering the circumstances…" Damon called and he walked into the foyer.

Stefan nodded toward him and pulled me into his arms. "It's good to see you, _Mrs. Salvatore_."

I blushed, and looked up at my new brother-in-law. "I don't think I will ever get used to hearing anyone call me that. Come in." I ushered them all into the living room and was about to close the door when a foot appeared in the jam.

I looked up into Matt's blue eyes, laced with fear and apprehension. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," I said, and reached up to put my arms around his neck. I felt him stiffen and glanced over my shoulder to see Damon watching us, casually leaning against the wall. "It's ok. He knew you were coming. I thought this was something you needed to hear."

Matt's eyes narrowed at me and I could hear his thoughts screaming at me. Instead of voicing them, he simply said, "You look good."

"Thanks," I said, linking my arm with his and pulling him into the room with the others.

We all sat around the room, patiently waiting for someone to begin the conversation. "So ok," Damon spoke first. "I assume you're all wondering what we asked you here for."

The group all looked around at each other with the same expression. "Well, yeah," Matt said, letting out a low huff.

Damon didn't even look at him as he began to speak again. "It seems my bride has more Power than we thought."

Stefan sucked in a sharp breath and he stood, dropping Elena's hand and she stared up at him. "Are you sure?"

Damon nodded. "Will someone clue the rest of us in, please?" Meredith shouted from where she sat with Alaric on the couch.

Stefan turned to all of us and cleared his throat. "It seems Bonnie is a hybrid."

"A _what_?!" Meredith shouted, jumping up and clenching her fists. "What the hell does _that_ mean?"

"It means she has a boatload of Power," Alaric said as he stood and attempted to calm his wife. "She's easily the most powerful vampire in the room right now."

Everyone's eyes turned to me and although I knew what Alaric was saying was true, I suddenly felt like I was two inches tall. Damon was at my side in an instant, and he wrapped his arm around me tightly. I waved childishly at everyone, and then the questions flooded the room. I heard every one of them and yet tried to ignore them as best I could.

Stefan put two fingers in his mouth whistling loudly and the entire room fell into silence. He opened his arms and I ran into his embrace. I felt protected in Damon's arms, but in Stefan's I felt totally safe. He looked down at me and winked. "Now, I know you all have questions, and we will attempt to answer as much as we can. But please understand that Damon and I have heard only stories. Nothing has ever been proven to us."

Damon nodded and I slowly walked out of Stefan's arms and into my husband's. He kissed my temple and then took a long sniff of my hair. _Have I told you how much I love you, Mrs. Salvatore?_ He thought to me and I tightened my grip around his waist, nodding slowly.

"So, where do we get answers?" Matt asked, his head leaning back on the wall with his eyes closed.

"There _is_ one person we can ask," Stefan said softly. All eyes turned to him.

"We have to find an elder."

* * * * * * *

_**So I was gonna continue but of course, I got on a roll only to be blocked again. I'll find some more inspiration and get back on it as soon as I can….promise.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**I'm still not quite sure where this will go, but I **_**do**_** know it's coming to an end soon. And again, my sincerest apologies for being so late with this one. I swear it just kept coming out wrong no matter how many times I wrote and re-wrote it. So I hope it's to your liking.**_

_**Show of hands for a sequel?**_

**20**

_**Meredith**_

"An _elder_? Where exactly would we find one? How would we contact one? And-" I felt Alaric's hand cover my mouth and I struggled against him. I glared at him over my shoulder and he moved slightly.

"I think what my excitable wife is trying to say is…start from the beginning." Alaric said smoothly, sitting us both down on the couch.

Stefan cleared his throat and sat on the arm of the loveseat across from us, Elena sat just beside him and laid her head on his lap. "Well, when Damon and I were children, we were told stories of the monsters that walked the earth at night. When we _became_ those creatures, we sought out the only ones who could give us answers. Katherine spoke of elders from the moment she Changed me, and shortly after her 'death'," he said using finger quotes, "I looked high and low for one. They've all gone into hiding, I'm sure, but with the Power that is in this room…" He didn't finish, but looked at Bonnie with pleading eyes.

Bonnie gasped and clutched her chest. "You want me to _what_?"

I looked at Alaric and sucked in a deep breath through my nose. "Look, there are still _some_ humans left in this room. Will you _please_ stop doing that!"

Damon and Stefan both turned to look at me and Bonnie smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Mere, I forget sometimes. They want me to Trance."

I could feel my eyes bulge. Surely they couldn't know what happened the last few times Bonnie had Tranced, but Elena and I knew, and it wasn't fun. I calmed myself for my next statement, knowing their reaction could probably set me off again. "Ok, I get that you want answers, but is that really the best way? She could let _anything_ in. Are we sure we want that? Let's not forget what happened the last time we were faced with such a strong surge of Power."

Slowly we all looked at Elena, and she looked down to her hands in her lap. "The devil twins…" She said quietly.

I could feel her remorse, and just knew she was thinking that she was responsible for leading them here. "Elena, stop," I shouted as I jumped up and sat next to her. "No. How could you know what would happen when we brought you back?"

She looked up at me through her lashes. "You sure you don't know how to read minds?" She grinned.

I took her hand in mine and smiled at her. "Elena, we don't blame you. How could we blame you? You didn't know. I mean, _you_ didn't even know you were coming back, and definitely not in the state you were in."

"I think we're missing the point here," Matt said from where he stood in the corner. We all turned to look at him and I could see the frustration on Damon's face. He had the '_why are you here_' look, and I stifled a giggle.

"Which would be?" Damon asked smugly.

Matt looked at him and tried unsuccessfully not to roll his eyes. "That we need to find out what's going on with Bonnie. Doesn't matter how, it just needs to get done."

Damon shrugged. "As much as I hate to admit it, Mutt's right."

Everyone's jaw dropped, including Bonnie's. "He is?" She asked in disbelief.

Damon looked around at all of us. "Don't get your knickers in a knot. I agree with him. But rest assured it probably won't happen again." He leaned back onto the wall with his arms wrapped around Bonnie, who stood in front of him, obviously still in shock.

"So what do we do then?" Elena's voice was unsure, and the look she gave me told me she was terrified of what could happen.

I agreed wholeheartedly with her. "Listen, is there no other way? I mean, we weren't kidding about what could come in with whoever Bonnie asks for help. And this isn't exactly a relative that we can trust, y'know? We'd be inviting a centuries old, possibly psychopathic, killer _vampire_ in. Doesn't this freak anyone else out?"

Alaric was across from me now, and I could practically see the thoughts going through his head. "Honey, I get what you're saying. But Stefan and Damon are centuries old themselves. And we know Bonnie's Power is stronger than both of the guys put together." They both looked at him incredulously. He shrugged, backtracking quickly. "I'm just sayin…"

Stefan ran a hand through his hair and got up. He stopped in front of the window and turned to the rest of us. "He's right Bonnie. They're all right. It's your call. We can play it by ear and find out what happens next on our own, or we can chance it."

Bonnie looked like she wanted to shrink into Damon's arms and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Um…can I think about it?"

I saw Elena smile from the corner of my eye. No, _that_ part of Bonnie would never be lost. "Sure, Bonnie. No one's really expecting you to give us an answer right now, right?" She looked at all of us, daring us to argue. We all shook our heads and I could see Damon whispering something in her ear that made her smile. "Good," Elena said as she stood. "Now, as much as we'd like to stay and chat, we all need to check into our hotels." She put up her hand when Bonnie started to speak. "You, dear sweet Bonnie, are a newlywed. And as much as we'd love to stay here with you and gossip like schoolgirls, your _husband_ would much rather keep you all to himself." She winked at Damon and I saw his smile before he hid it away quickly.

Bonnie nodded and dislodged herself from Damon. She wrapped us both in her arms and whispered to us. "I promise I'll be alright. I'll find a way to get answers, _without_ harming any of us or bringing something worse in. Trust me."

We nodded back at her, grabbed our purses, and followed the others outside.

_**Damon**_

"You want me to _what_?"

Meredith turned to her husband and sucked in a deep breath. "Look, there are still _some_ humans left in this room. Will you _please_ stop doing that!"

Stefan and I looked at one another and my wife smiled. "Sorry, Mere, I forget sometimes. They want me to Trance."

Meredith's eyes were about to pop out of her head. Her thoughts went to the kitsune, and their hunger for the Power that came when Elena was brought back from the other side. She took a calming breath and spoke. "Ok, I get that you want answers, but is that really the best way? She could let _anything_ in. Are we sure we want that? Let's not forget what happened the last time we were faced with such a strong surge of Power."

Everyone looked at Elena, and she looked down to her hands in her lap. "The devil twins…" She whispered.

The air in the room thickened with her remorse, "Elena, stop," Meredith shouted as she flew to her side. "No. How could you know what would happen when we brought you back?"

She looked up at Meredith. "You sure you don't know how to read minds?" She asked and grinned.

Meredith took Elena's hand in hers and smiled at her. "Elena, we don't blame you. How could we blame you? You didn't know. I mean, _you_ didn't even know you were coming back, and definitely not in the state you were in."

"I think we're missing the point here," Mutt said from where he stood banished to the corner. _Damn, I had forgotten he was here… _We all turned to look at him and I knew the annoyance was evident on my face, as I heard a giggle come from where Meredith and Elena sat.

"Which would be?" I asked, attempting to hold back my irritation.

Matt looked at me and rolled his eyes. Had Bonnie not been standing in front of me I would've snapped his neck out of pure exasperation, but I thought better of it and just waited for his answer. "That we need to find out what's going on with Bonnie. Doesn't matter how, it just needs to get done."

_Damn. Didn't expect that._ "As much as I hate to admit it, Mutt's right."

Everyone's jaw dropped, including Bonnie's. "He is?" She asked over her shoulder, clearly shocked that I would agree with this idiot.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah…I said he had a point, not that I think he's Gandhi or something._.. "Don't get your knickers in a knot. I agree with him. But rest assured it probably won't happen again." I leaned back onto the wall with my arms wrapped tightly around my bride from behind. I could feel the shock still rolling off her.

"So what do we do then?" Elena's voice was unsure, and the look she gave Meredith was full of fear.

I knew the others agreed with her. "Listen, is there no other way? I mean, we weren't kidding about what could come in with whoever Bonnie asks for help. And this isn't exactly a relative that we can trust, y'know? We'd be inviting a centuries old, possibly psychopathic, killer _vampire_ in. Doesn't this freak anyone else out?" Meredith implored.

Alaric was contemplating his answer. "Honey, I get what you're saying. But Stefan and Damon are centuries old themselves. And we know Bonnie's Power is stronger than both of the guys put together." _Does he realize what he just said?_ He shrugged, backtracking quickly. "I'm just sayin…"

Stefan ran a hand through his hair and walked over to the window. He stopped and turned to the rest of us. "He's right Bonnie. They're all right. It's your call. We can play it by ear and find out what happens next on our own, or we can chance it."

Bonnie retreated into my arms and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. "Um…can I think about it?"

Elena smiled. _No, _that_ part of Bonnie would never be lost,_ she thought. "Sure, Bonnie. No one's really expecting you to give us an answer right now, right?" She looked at all of us, daring us to disagree. We all shook our heads and I leaned down to whisper words of love to my wife. She giggled. "Good," Elena said as she stood. "Now, as much as we'd like to stay and chat, we all need to check into our hotels." She put up her hand when Bonnie started to protest. "You, dear sweet Bonnie, are a newlywed. And as much as we'd love to stay here with you and gossip like schoolgirls, your _husband_ would much rather keep you all to himself." _Did she just wink at me? Maybe she heard me…?_ I hid my smile quickly. All of that could be saved for later.

Bonnie nodded and walked to where the girls stood. She enveloped them into her embrace and whispered. "_I promise I'll be alright. I'll find a way to get answers, without harming any of us or bringing something worse in. Trust me_."

The girls all nodded with tears in their eyes and moments later, we stood in the foyer of our home, alone and still without answers. Bonnie turned to me once the door was shut. "Damon, are you as scared as I am?"

I nodded slowly, looking down at the tile floor. Thoughts rushed at me almost too fast to grasp. Who would we ask? And what would they tell us? What if _they_ didn't have answers either? In an instant, I was at her side, pulling her into my arms and burying my face in her hair. "I'm rather inclined to say I don't care either way. But I know you need to hear something concrete." She looked up at me with tears forming in her perfect eyes and nodded. "I will do whatever you ask of me, _cara_. If you want me to travel the Earth to find your answers, or leave it completely alone…I am entirely at your disposal."

Bonnie shifted in my arms until she had her back to me. Her slender hands came up to my arms which were across her chest and she laid her head down to the side to rest on my shoulder. Her thoughts were just as scattered as mine were and I had to chuckle at her indecision. "What?" she asked softly.

I kissed her hair and began to hum the song that played during our first dance at our small wedding. She relaxed instantly in my arms and I could hear her thoughts turn to our honeymoon in Italy. As long as she was happy, I was happy. And I found myself not wanting this moment to ever end.

_**Bonnie**_

Everyone had their opinions.

The only one that mattered in this situation was my own. _Well, Damon's matters, of course_. Truth be told, I was terrified of what they would tell me. I knew I wasn't some sort of freak. But the fact that my ring almost _killed_ Natalia… I started to wonder what it would do to me. I still hadn't taken Elena's ring off, and now that she was human again, I didn't _have to_ give it back. But I knew it meant more to her than what it meant to me. It was her engagement ring of sorts. _Promise ring? Do vampires give promise rings?_ I chuckled as I washed the dishes in the sink. We had been having dinner parties with our friends since they had gotten there a week before. I knew it was their attempt to persuade me into Trancing. But a big part of me told me the uncertainty was well warranted.

I felt the first pain shoot through my head two nights after we had all had the discussion of my Trancing. I knew Damon had known something was going on but he never asked me about it. So far I had gotten a pain shooting through my head between my eyes every night since, and in a normal human girl it wouldn't be a big deal.

But I was a vampire. And there should be no pains anywhere in my body unless they were inflicted by something or someone.

I felt the plate slip from my hand and crash to the floor before I could stop it, and suddenly I couldn't see _anything_. I could hear the commotion of the voices around me as they ran into the kitchen, but their faces were blurred to me.

And then there was nothing.

Everything was white. I could smell nothing, nor could I hear anything. There was nothing in front of me for miles, and then out of nowhere, a bright yellow light appeared. It was blinding and as much as I tried to shield my face the light was too powerful. Rays of light shone all around me and I heard a deep male voice call my name. It was not a voice I recognized, but I knew instantly that I could trust it.

"_Bonnie, come forward…_"

I felt my body move forward without my consent. _Shouldn't I be walking into the wall by now?_ I didn't hit anything, but I did feel myself move from side to side. _Maybe they're moving me so I don't hit anything…?_

It got very cold, very quickly, and I pulled my arms around my body to try and keep the heat in. _This is wrong, I shouldn't be cold._ The voice started to laugh and it was a deep and hearty laugh. "_Do not be afraid, Bonnie. We will not hurt you._"

I tried to speak vocally but noticed no words came out. I figured maybe if couldn't _speak_, whoever had gotten my attention could hear my thoughts. _Am…am I dead?_

_No. You are very much alive. But you have questions._

I nodded, wondering if they could see me even though I couldn't see them. _Can you help me?_

_ Yes._

_ Oh thank you!_ My excitement must've amused them, and they started laughing. _Um, yeah…_so_ not funny people._

_ Young Bonnie,_ a female voice said boldly. _Your ancestry has made you very powerful. Combined with your new changes, you have become quite the force to be reckoned with. This makes you uncomfortable._

_ Um, yes? _I hadn't meant for it to come out as a question, but it kinda was. _I know I'm not normal._

_ No,_ the male voice was back. _You are what is known as a hybrid. When we combine our blood with that of another other-worldly creature, we get you._

_Great…so there _are_ more like me_.

The woman laughed. _Yes. But they are no longer with us. _

I gasped. _Do you mean-?_

The woman laughed again. _In a way, yes. Some hybrids don't live forever._

I froze. So my _immortality_ may not be forever? What the hell? _I don't understand. Why would a hybrid not be granted the same life as a vampire?_

I could hear them talking to each other, as though they were trying to decide if, or what, they should tell me. I was part of their world now, and I deserved some answers. _It depends on the combination of the blood._

_I don't understand. I know I'm different, but I'm still a hybrid, right?_

_ Yes, Bonnie. But you are rare._ The woman's voice seemed to fade slightly and I felt my arms reach out to stop her from leaving.

_Wait! Don't go! One more question, please!_

I heard the irritation in the sighs ahead of me. _Yes, Bonnie? What more would you like to know?_

_The ring. What happened to Natalia? Did my ring burn her?_

The woman smiled. I knew only because I heard the change in her voice. _It did. Your life essence was too much for her. When you touched the ring, it left your aura on the metal. Your spirit is so strong you need no ring. _

_ Holy hell! Really?_ I hadn't meant for that to come out, and I could hear the disapproval in their grunts. But this was exciting! _Sorry. Ok, so I can remove it?_

No answer.

_Hello? Please?_

Nothing.

"No!" I screamed, and my eyes shot open. I was in my living room, and everyone was standing around me in a circle, eyes wide and ready to…charge me?

"_Cara,_ are you ok?" Damon's face was paler than usual, and I could see the distress in his eyes. He stepped forward and I threw myself into his arms.

"Damon…" I couldn't stop the tears from flowing and I grabbed onto his shirt as we fell into a heap on the floor.

"Bonnie…_Bella_, tell me what happened. What did you see?"

I couldn't vocalize it. I had Tranced, without trying to. And though the answers were vague at best, I knew one thing for sure.

Even with my immortality, my days with Damon were numbered.

_**Damon**_

Something was wrong. I heard the dish crash onto the floor and I was up in the same instant. We all ran into the kitchen and saw Bonnie standing completely still, looking straight ahead, but not seeing anything.

"Oh no…" Elena sighed from where she stood next to Stefan.

"What? What the hell is going on?" Panic was setting in and then it dawned on me.

She was Trancing.

And there was no way to stop it.

"Doesn't she need a candle or something?" Mutt asked from somewhere behind me.

I rolled my eyes, not turning to him, but meaning it strictly for him. "You idiot," I said quietly. "I don't think she actually _meant_ to Trance."

We all held our breath as she began to move forward. As we watched her, we could see she was having a conversation with _someone_, though entirely unseen. It went against every instinct in my body to allow this to be happening to my wife, but I sat on the arm of the sofa, crossed my arms in front of me and waited.

Elena's breathing started to quicken and Meredith started to shake. I looked at them and then turned back toward Bonnie and she started to convulse violently before she screamed, "No!" Her eyes popped open and she turned slowly toward us. We must've all looked like we were about to pounce on her because her eyes went wide as she took us all in.

"_Cara,_ are you ok?" I asked, trying to remain calm and failing miserably. My wife knew me well enough to see that I was anything but calm. I took a step toward her and she fell into my arms.

"Damon…" she sobbed into my shoulder as she grabbed a hold of my shirt. We fell onto the floor in front of the group.

"Bonnie…_Bella_, tell me what happened. What did you see?" I needed to hear something…_anything_.

She didn't speak, but simply held onto me as she cried furiously. She had closed her mind off to me so I couldn't hear her thoughts. I looked up at Stefan and his expression mimicked my own. We had no idea what had transpired, but whatever it was, was not good.

I sat by Bonnie's head and watched her sleep for what seemed like hours. The group had left and still she remained silent about what she had seen. I had tried to read her thoughts, and had even attempted to use my Power on her, to no avail. Whatever she had witnessed had her upset beyond words, and she wasn't letting me in.

_Damon…_

I looked at the window to find Stefan on my balcony. He simply nodded at me, I nodded back, and bent down to kiss my sleeping bride. As I pulled the doors open, Bonnie stirred slightly, and I heard her whisper, '_hybrid_'.

I closed the door behind me and sighed. "What?"

"I think she met with an elder." Stefan stated pointedly.

"I'm well aware of that, thank you." My patience was wearing thin regarding this whole scenario, and I was in no mood for 'Captain Obvious' standing in front of me.

Stefan rolled his eyes at me and looked over my shoulder to where Bonnie was sleeping. She was beautiful, breathtaking…no, there were no words. I only knew that there was no end to what I would do to keep her safe. This little frail human and given up her life to be with me, and I couldn't deny the fact that she had vexed me from the moment I had laid eyes on her. Yes, Elena had been my goal in the beginning, but as time went on I grew to realize that she was more of a conquest than anything else.

Bonnie was my entire life.

"Well, what do we do now? It appears they've told her something to upset her." Stefan crossed his arms in front of him and tilted his head to the side. "And we have to find out what it was."

I let out my breath loudly, but still took care not to wake Bonnie. My hands went to my face and I scrubbed roughly. _Yeah, if it were only that easy._ "I'm not sure. She won't tell me anything."

He looked at me like I had five heads and a tail. "So read her thoughts."

I rolled my eyes and walked over to look out at our property below. "Been there, done that. I tried. She won't let me in. I am totally blocked from her mind at the moment."

Stefan's eyes widened. "Really? Hm…"

_I am so tempted to throw you off this balcony right now, _I thought as I turned to him. _But, you're right. Whatever it is has her so upset she won't even let _me_ in. And that's not like her._

Stefan nodded. _You used your Power?_

My look must've told him what a stupid question that was, and he looked down, shoving his hands into his pockets and sighing. Bonnie stirred behind him, and we both turned to look at her. _I can't lose her._

_I know_, was his only reply.

We needed to find answers. But without knowing where to begin, and what Bonnie already had learned, had us all at a disadvantage. I heard Bonnie start to awaken and both Stefan and I looked over to where she lay on the bed. Her chest started heaving and her breathing quickened. We got to her just as she shouted my name and began reaching for where I usually slept on the bed. She panicked when she found no purchase and began to look around the room desperately trying to find me.

The only problem was that I was standing directly in front of her and she didn't seem to see me at all.

Stefan's eyes widened as we watched Bonnie writhe on the bed in what looked like a very painful anxiety attack. I tried to reach for her, but as her vision came back to her she saw my hand and snapped at me with her very sharp canines. _What's happening to her?_ Stefan's thoughts asked me.

_I don't know…_I shook my head as she immediately lay back down and went right back to sleep. Whatever she had heard while she had Tranced had had a very odd effect on her. _Odd is an understatement_, I thought, and I saw Stefan nod in agreement.

I crouched down next to Bonnie and whispered to her as I stroked her hair from where it was matted to her face with sweat. "I _will_ make this better, _cara_. I don't know what happened, but I vow to you that I will make it all go away."

_**So…you like where this is going? I hope I'm not disappointing anyone. Trying to stay in-character with showing you how much Bonnie has affected him and his demeanor. Do we like it thus far? Talk to me people!**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**I guess I'm doin ok then! Thank you all!**_

_**I'm thinkin' this will come to an end pretty quick cause an idea screamed at me the other night and I don't think I can post that till I finish this. I gotta 'go big or go home'…uh, I mean 'all or nothing'. Ah hell, it's one of those damn clichés!**_

_**Ok, so moving along…**_

**21**

_**Stefan**_

We were no closer to finding out anything to help Bonnie, and I could see my brother's resolve start to crumble. The arrogant ass he normally was had faded over the last month as Bonnie's mood began to worsen. She wouldn't talk, wouldn't smile, and would barely feed. Her strength would deplete, and then we'd have to force her to drink. It was almost as if she were dying.

And so was Damon.

Every ounce of life from either of them was slowly leaving their bodies. Elena and the others watched helplessly, and as much as Damon and I tried to gather information concerning whatever it was Bonnie was going through, we weren't much better. We had no new information and Bonnie wouldn't talk to any of us about what had taken place that night over four weeks ago.

I heard Elena's thoughts as she walked up behind me. I had taken to scouring every inch of the internet for underground sites for our kind. Yes, they existed, you just had to know where to find them. _She's dying, isn't she?_

I nodded slowly, not completely sure I was telling the truth. _It would _seem_ that way_, I thought to her, _but I'm not sure our kind can do that…I mean, the common ways humans die._

_So this is as new to you as it is to us?_

_Elena, I've never seen anything like it. It's like she's dying from a broken heart, but her heart is still here._ Damon's face flashed in my mind. And then a thought occurred to me.

I jumped out of my seat, startling Elena, and ran into the living area where everyone was seated. Bonnie's head was in Meredith's lap, who was stroking Bonnie's curls away from her face. Meredith looked like she was taking care of her little sister, and I suppose in a way, she was. Damon stood at the window furthest away from us, not looking at us but watching the room in general. Matt had his head in a huge book, and as I zeroed in on it, I noticed it was a book passed down through generations in the Salvatore family. "Hey Stefan, you and Damon haven't changed a bit, man," he said, pointing to drawings of Damon, my father, and myself.

I walked over to him and picked the book up. There were no pictures of my mother, as she died before I really knew her, but my father looked exactly how I remembered him. Giuseppe Salvatore was the strongest man I had ever known, and I knew he had always been very proud of me. Damon, on the other hand, was _not_ what my father had expected him to be. I remember the day he told our father he would not be going back to the University. Father had been furious with him, but Damon had shrugged him off in his usual manner. I watched him saunter out of the room as my father yelled at him in Italian. Damon must've been reliving my thoughts with me. He chuckled from where he stood watching us. "Ah, family memories," he said in a disgusted tone.

Bonnie glanced over at him, then back at me, and a hint of a smile touched her face. _How I wish…_she thought as she looked back at Damon, and then realized I had heard her and shut her mind off to us again. Damon heard it, too, and walked over to where she was on Meredith's lap. "_Cara_," he reached out for her and she sat up to take his hand. "Let's get you upstairs. You look exhausted."

I knew what Damon was planning, and I also knew it was my job to get things ready.

He had heard my revelation while I was web-searching. We were going to have Bonnie Trance, and I was going with her.

_**Elena**_

This was impossible.

I sat combing Bonnie's curls as she sat on the chest at the foot of her bed. Her heart was racing. Even without my Powers, I could feel it. She was shaking.

"I can't do this," she whispered, and then put her face in her hands.

Meredith looked over at me and her expression was sympathetic. She walked over to us and sat next to me. "What, Bonnie? What can't you do?"

Bonnie turned and looked at both of us with red-rimmed eyes. "I'm losing my husband."

The looks on our faces must've told her we had no idea what she was referring to cause she rolled her eyes and got up, stopping at the entrance to the bathroom. She turned sharply and gave us a pointed look. "I haven't told him what I saw when I Tranced a month ago, and I don't think I want to."

I nodded for her to continue. _We finally hit a breaking point!_ "Go ahead, Bonnie."

"The elders I spoke to…," she looked down at her hands and then back at us. "My immortality is flawed."

"Um," Meredith shrugged and looked at both of us. "Am I the only one that doesn't get it?"

I shook my head at her and we both turned back to Bonnie. "I don't get it either. Bonnie," I said, turning to her, "can you continue?"

Bonnie took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. We both knew Damon and Stefan were listening, and I think at that point Bonnie didn't care anymore. "The elders told me that some hybrids don't last forever."

Meredith's expression was still confused. "And that's what you are, right? A hybrid?"

Bonnie nodded. "That's what they call us."

"That's what _who_ calls you?"

Bonnie's eyebrows furrowed. "Uh, I'm not exactly sure. I guess other vampires." She shrugged. "Anyway, _because_ I'm a hybrid I have less years with my Damon."

"That's what they told you? These elders that showed themselves to you?" I had to be clear of what she was saying before we moved any further. Because Stefan and I were still so connected to each other, I could hear him restraining Damon downstairs. Damon's anger with these elders was getting the best of him, and Stefan began speaking to him in Italian in an attempt to calm him. I could understand his feelings totally, and I felt the same way.

Bonnie nodded and this intense sadness swept over her face. "That's what I can't tell Damon. He would _die_ if he knew."

"No, but I would kill anyone who hurt you this way, _cara_." Damon's voice was soft as he opened the door and walked over to Bonnie. He wrapped her in his arms, cooing like I'd never seen before, and I felt the intense need to turn away from this moment that seemed so private. Meredith caught my attention and we both moved to leave the room when Damon's voice stopped us. "No, stay. We need to get this under way."

Bonnie looked at the both of us and then back at Damon, obviously confused. "Need to get what under way? What's going on?"

_Well that answers _my_ question_, Stefan's inner voice said as he entered the room with Matt. We were all wondering… if Bonnie was keeping the boys out, was she hearing _their_ thoughts? Apparently she wasn't, and had no clue what Stefan and Damon were about to suggest. "Bonnie," Stefan said walking over to where she stood with Damon. "We'd like you to Trance. But this time, I'm going with you."

The look on her face was pure terror. I knew she wouldn't want to see those elders again, especially now that I knew what they had told her. Stefan took a step toward her and held his hands out to her. She took them in her own and seemed to relax a bit. "Like I did when Elena was…" She didn't finish. We all knew where she was going with this.

Stefan nodded. "But this time it won't be as scary, I promise. I will be right there with you."

Bonnie looked back at Damon. "Why can't _you_ go with me?"

Damon's expression hardened for a moment before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Because I would probably… _hurt them…_for hurting you the way they have. I don't believe I would be able to hold my temper long enough to get answers for you, _amore_. It's safer this way."

Bonnie thought about it for a moment and then closed her eyes before turning back to us. When she opened them, her bravado was back in place. "Let's do it."

_**Bonnie**_

Damn.

That was the only thought going through my head currently.

I didn't want to see these bastards that had basically stolen my future right out from under me. I was mad, and I had every right to be. The only thing I wanted now was an endless future with Damon, and they had tripped me by pulling the 'rug out from my feet', so to speak.

Damon was pacing in our bedroom. "You're gonna burn a hole right through to the first floor if you're not careful." I was trying to ease the tension, and failing miserably. "I'll be fine, I promise you. Stefan will be right there with me. He's almost as protective of me as you are."

Damon crouched down in front of me and took my hands in his. "No, _cara_, there isn't a soul on this Earth who is more protective of you than I. You are my world, my very life essence. I cannot exist without you."

The fear was coming off of him so strong I could smell it. I had never seen Damon this way and it was starting to scare me. He stood quickly, pulling me up into his tight embrace, and peppered my face and hair with kisses. "I cannot lose you, _amore. Il mio uccellino fragile._"

I pulled back to look into his eyes. "You will _never_ lose me. We are one." Suddenly my worries over the last month seemed so silly. I had longer to spend with Damon than I was giving credit for. Even if it wasn't five hundred years, I still had a long stretch that I was _not_ willing to treat lightly. "How long do we have?"

Damon blinked before he answered. "What do you mean?"

I opened my mind to him, finally, and he was immediately on the same page.

We undressed quickly and enjoyed each other before the circus downstairs was set to take place. I had to look at it that way, or I knew I would chicken out. No one came to bother us; they must've known how badly we needed to be wrapped in each other, both literally and figuratively.

We dressed slowly once we were sated, and walked even more slowly down the stairs to meet the group. They looked over at us one by one, and when I finally turned to look at Damon I saw the reason I fell so deeply for him. He believed in me. He loved me. He _wanted _me. And he would never leave me.

I nodded, and then sat down at the dining room table, preparing myself to go through this again…this time willingly. I took a deep breath and looked up at Stefan as he sat down in front of me. "Ok," I said, trying to slow my racing heart. "Let's get started."

Elena lit the candle in front of me and I focused on the light. The flames danced and sputtered, and then took on a fierce blue tint. I tried to blink and the harder I tried, the harder it became to keep my eyes open. _Are my eyes closed?_ I asked Damon mentally.

_No,_ he said, _you're looking right at me. Don't you see me?_

_ No…_ I tried to blink again, and this time I did. When my eyes opened I was sitting in a dark room surrounded by candles. I turned my head to look around and saw nothing. _Stefan?_ I called out to the darkness and jumped slightly when I saw him walking in across from me. _Did we do it? Are we here?_

Stefan nodded at me, but his expression was weary. _We're not alone._

Something in my gut had told me that before he said anything, but I figured maybe he needed to say it. I nodded that I knew he was right. _Is it them?_

Stefan's brows came together as he tried to determine what was with us, and then he spun away from me, looking into the shadows. I saw a figure walking toward us as I stood, clapping his hands and smiling. Yes, it was definitely a man, but not one I had seen before. He was tall, with chiseled features and dark hair. His olive complexion was stunning, and his presence commanded attention. _Così buon vederli, Stefan._

Stefan nodded. _Angelo, che cosa sono voi che fate qui?_

I looked back and forth between the two men and cleared my throat._ Someone mind letting me in here?_

Stefan turned to look at me, alarm coating his face. _My apologies, Bonnie. Angelo, this is Bonnie Salvatore. Bonnie, this is my good friend, Angelo Esposito. _

Angelo's eyebrows went into his hairline and he crossed his arms over his chest. _Salvatore? Your bride?_

_ Not mine, Damon's. _Stefan turned to face me and wrapped his arm around my waist to pull me to him. To anyone else it would've looked odd, but I knew it was a simple move of protection on his part. _And you didn't answer my question._

Angelo blinked and finally broke his gaze away from me long enough to look at Stefan. _I'm sorry, I don't _remember_ the question_.

Stefan chuckled darkly. _Of course you don't. I asked what you were doing here._

Angelo narrowed his eyes at Stefan, and then he quickly smiled and clapped his hands together loudly. _I was summoned._

Stefan looked down at me and our faces mirrored each other. If he was confused I wasn't sure _what_ to classify my look as. _Summoned?_ I asked before I could stop myself. _By whom?_

Angelo walked over to me slowly and stopped right in front of me. I could feel his breath fan out across my face and it made me shiver. _I never know. _He shrugged and inched slightly closer to me. _I hear thoughts from all over the world, rossa._

I shivered again, but this time at the use of his pet name. Only Damon had ever called me that and this stranger was not welcome to do so. _I'm sorry, but my name is Bonnie. Or you can call me Mrs. Salvatore, if you like._

Angelo's eyebrow raised as he looked me over. _Feisty, this one. I should make a note of that._

Stefan sighed in exasperation and he cocked his head to the side. He looked so much like Damon when he did that. He must've heard me, cause he turned slightly and smiled. _Angelo, you mean to tell me you were summoned here but you don't know by whom? A vampire of your stature? I find that hard to believe._

Angelo shrugged. _Not sure I care _what_ you believe, Salvatore. It's not up to you where I go…never has been._

There was obviously more to this conversation than I knew, but at the moment, I really could care less. _I hate to break up this little contest between the two of you, really, but we came here for some answers._

Angelo looked over at me again, and he studied my face. _Can I ask where your husband is, lovely Bonnie?_

Stefan tightened his stance beside me. _He's watching, I assure you._

Angelo looked back at Stefan and chuckled. _I'm sure he is. _He looked back at me. _What is it you want to know?_

I stood up straighter and squared my shoulders. _Tell me what you know about hybrids._

Angelo's eyes went wide, and then the color left his face. He motioned to Stefan. _You mean…she's-_

Stefan nodded. I looked from one to the other; each of their faces held a different expression. Stefan's was one of pride, and Angelo's expression was pure terror. _Still not sure where all this apprehension is coming from. Someone wanna tell me what the fuss is about hybrids?_

Angelo cleared his throat and looked down at his feet. When he looked back up at me his face was paler, but still composed. _I know they can be very dangerous._

I nodded. _Yeah, I heard that somewhere. And what of their lifespan?_

I could see Stefan eyeing me from where he was standing and made a mental note to tell him what I had told the girls in the room. I was sure he had heard me, but I guess I really hadn't made an effort to find out.

Angelo shrugged. _That I couldn't tell you for sure. But I know some have been known to live for dozens of centuries._

_ And why is that?_ I could feel myself inching closer to him as he spoke and it was due to pure intrigue.

_Because there's no way to kill them._

_**Stefan**_

I could feel Bonnie's elation at Angelo's words, though I really had no clue as to why. I must have really not been paying attention to her thoughts. Then again, once I realized what we had to do for her answers, my brain had pretty much shut itself off to everything else around me.

I knew Damon was watching through my thoughts as well as Bonnie's. It must have been torture to see your wife in danger and not be able to help at all. I couldn't imagine how I would feel were it Elena in Bonnie's place.

Bonnie kept questioning Angelo as to how he knew what he knew, but he would never answer her outright. It was begin to frustrate the both of us.

She began to rub her temples and closed her eyes. _The flame is going dead_, I heard Elena say from somewhere far away and I knew we had to close this session fast. We couldn't afford to have Angelo follow us through any means of transportation.

_Well, thank you for your time,_ Bonnie said politely. _We'll be going now._

_ Wait,_ Angelo said, grabbing Bonnie's elbow as she turned. She looked down to where they were connected and back up to his face, her expression deadly. Angelo let go as if she had burned him, and Bonnie stood a little straighter and crossed her arms in front of her, waiting for Angelo to speak. _Give Damon my regards,_ Angelo said, and threw his head back, laughing loudly.

In an instant he was gone, and Bonnie and I were sitting across from each other at the table again. Damon scooped Bonnie up and into a tight embrace, kissing her everywhere he could find purchase. "Are you ok?" he asked between kisses.

Bonnie nodded. "I'm fine, I'm fine…" She looked over at me, and when I nodded, she looked back at Damon. "So who is he?"

Damon didn't have to ask who she was referring to. He shrugged lightly. "Angelo Esposito. He told you that."

Bonnie's expression went from loving to annoyed. "I _know_ that. Who is he to you, and why don't I know his name?"

Damon shot me a glance and then looked back at his wife. "_Cara,_ do we have to do this now?"

Bonnie shifted her weight onto one hip and crossed her arms in front of her. "Yes," was all she said.

Damon sighed and turned away from us. He turned and leaned back against the wall. "Angelo Esposito made me who I am."

_**Whaaaa?**_

_**Yeah, I know. You are all thoroughly confused, right? No worries. I have a plan… (Laughs evilly, and wrings hands. !)**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**BIG SHOUTS TO ZOZO42! You "cracked through my code" so to speak! LOL**_

_**And of course, as always to my beta, Kryptonite12. Bouncing ideas off you is always uplifting. You rock!**_

_**I would love to tell you all that I will update every week like some authors do, but I just don't have all the time in the world. I wish I did, but I do write whenever I get free time. My goal is to post every 2 weeks at least. *fingers crossed* **_

_**So please…read away!**_

_**Bonnie**_

"Angelo Esposito made me who I am."

I felt my jaw come down of its own accord and I couldn't help but stare. "Um…what?"

Damon shrugged. He leaned against the wall furthest from us, one foot propped up behind him. "He _made_ me." I raised my eyebrows at him, gesturing for him to continue. He sighed softly. "Yes, Katherine made me _what_ I am. Angelo made me _who_ I am."

I felt the wheels in my head start to turn until they spun completely out of control. "You mean, the Damon _I_ know…others knew him too?"

Damon laughed and walked over to me. He leaned down and brushed his cheek across my temple. "_Cara,_ _no one_ has known me the way you do." He kissed my cheek quickly and leaned in further to whisper in my ear. "And no one ever will again."

I could feel the blush, and I closed my eyes, remembering the feel of him in my arms just hours before. "Mmm…", I purred as I turned toward him. "I suppose you have to finish the story now."

Damon nodded, and I could hear his thoughts clearly. _Later. I will worship every inch of you…later._ I blushed again and he turned back toward the group now listening intently. "I met Angelo shortly after Katherine Changed me. He was powerful and strong, and most of all, feared. I wanted that; I craved it more than anything else. So I spent my days with him, and my nights with…_others_."

I knew he could feel me tense at his words, and he reached over and grabbed my hand from where I was standing just behind him. He pulled me forward and sat down on the arm of the loveseat. He positioned me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist and nibbling lightly on my earlobe. I leaned my head back slightly and heard a low growl from my husband. Stefan cleared his throat in front of us. "Damon," he said sternly.

I could almost hear his eyes pop open when he released his hold on my waist. "Anyway, I learned from him. Everything he could teach me, I soaked up like a sponge. And I made damn sure once he left Italy, whenever his nomadic phase took him away from Florence, that _I_ was the one who's name was on the lips of victims all over the city." He nodded toward Stefan. "You remember that phase, don't you, brother?"

Stefan nodded solemnly at him. I could hear the thoughts running through his head as well, and his were of a totally different tone. Sorrow, guilt, _shame_. My head popped up at that one and I looked over at my brother-in-law. He looked back at me and when our eyes met, flashes of young girls flooded my mind. We both looked at Damon at the same time and when I turned and caught his gaze, he looked down sheepishly. "I never said I was perfect, _cara_. At least not before I met you. I did all those things Stefan just showed you, and more. I _was_ that monster young women were warned about. The creature fathers told their innocent young virgins to be weary of when they went out with their friends. All the cotillions, the sweet sixteen parties, the debutante balls…I was _there_. I would lurk in corners, dark alleyways, waiting. And when the perfect young girl came along…"

He stopped and I noticed his breathing had picked up and he was staring at the carpet in the center of the room, eyes wide. I felt my heart begin to break at his expression and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, rocking him gently. He may have been that person long ago, but he was _not _that person now. _Listen to me_, I thought to him, _you are _not_ that monster anymore. I won't allow it._ I pulled his face up to look at me, and his faraway look made me catch my own breath. _Stop. I love you. That person doesn't exist anymore._

I knew the others wanted to hear more, and as I concentrated on their thoughts, I could hear Matt thinking he was right to come to me that night on my porch and beg for me to stay with him. "No," I said as I jumped off Damon's lap. I glared at Matt with everything my tiny little frame had. "You're wrong. He's perfect now."

Matt looked up at me with a shocked look on his face. I pointed to my head. "I heard you."

Matt's eyes widened in pure terror as he realized Damon must've heard him too. I heard Damon growl again, but this time with a different emotion altogether. I turned and put my hand on his chest. "Please. You can continue if you'd like."

Damon shook his head and stood. "I think I'm going upstairs for a moment."

He left the room without another word and I turned to Stefan. "I understand who he was. I get it, believe me. But this Angelo…" I narrowed my eyes just thinking of him. "Tell me why Damon wanted to be him."

Stefan looked at me wide-eyed. I could tell there was more to the story and that he didn't want to say any more than what was already said. He cleared his throat and sat down across the room. He looked down at his hands that were now clasped in his lap and shrugged lightly. "There's not much more to tell really. Angelo was high society in our day. He lived in a castle high on the hill that had been in his family for centuries. His great-grandfather had built it long ago. At least that was what we were told before we met him. What we didn't know was that Augustine Esposito was not his great-grandfather."

Meredith leaned forward as though it would help her hear better. "Who was he?" she whispered softly.

"Augustine was Angelo's son."

_**Damon**_

I paced in our bedroom while I listened to the conversation still going on downstairs. I had to chuckle at how interesting they all found Angelo to be. He was a monster, even more so than me. But his Power exceeded any I had ever seen before, and I would've given anything to be as Powerful as he. I thought once I had left Florence for good, he would never be seen again.

I was wrong.

Now that he knew where to find me I was sure we'd see more of him. And I wasn't sure I was ready for that yet. Angelo was evil, that was all there was to it. I had been the same way not too long ago, but I wanted to show Bonnie that she could trust me. She had changed me, and even if no one else were to see it, _she_ saw it.

I heard her footsteps approaching and when she opened the door the look in her eyes was painful.

Pity. She was _pitying me_.

I felt the bile rise in my throat and I turned away from her sharply. _You need not pity me, Elena. _

Elena's eyes narrowed at me and then she leaned against the doorjamb, crossing her arms in front of her. "What? I didn't say anything."

I had to roll my eyes at her. "Did you forget I can read your thoughts? Besides, your face said it all."

She recovered quickly and stood straighter. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

I chuckled humorlessly and waved her off. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, yeah I guess there was," she shrugged and began to walk closer to me. "This Angelo…is he still as dangerous as you say he was?"

I gave her the 'duh' look I had seen Bonnie give people so often. _She's really starting to rub off on me, isn't she?_ "My dear, sweet, juvenile Elena…", I said as I came to where she stood in the middle of the room. "You honestly have no clue what you're up against should you decide to cross him. You thought the kitsune was bad? Klaus? Angelo Esposito has been around centuries longer than those three. He knows _everything_. And he stops at _nothing_. Nothing in the world can stop him when he's got something set in his mind. Now that he knows about Bonnie, he may leave her alone. But that doesn't mean he won't hurt someone close to her. _That_ may be the only way he can kill her."

"By going through us." She said so soft I wasn't sure she meant me to hear. But it was not a question.

I nodded. "Never in all my years walking this Earth has anyone touched me the way Bonnie has. And Angelo can feel it. I know he can. Just by watching when he was speaking to her during her Trance. You all may have seen concern on his part at the knowledge that she's a hybrid, but I _know _him. And I know what he was thinking and what he's capable of. The only thing that can truly hurt me now is if something happened to Bonnie, and vice versa. She loves you, but there's nothing like the bond between two mates." I looked her up and down. "You should know that already."

Elena looked toward the door and then back at me. "I do," she whispered. Her thoughts went to Stefan, when he was trapped in the well, and other times he had been hurt. And then her memories flashed of when she awoke as a vampire and had attacked him herself; the defeat written all over his face when he thought he has lost her for good. She shook her head as if to clear it and looked back at me. "So what do we do?"

"You should probably hear more of Angelo's story. Everything might make a little more sense to you." I led her back down the stairs and watched my bride's eyes brighten when she caught sight of me. _That will never get old. I will never grow tired of seeing her glow when she sees me._ I cleared my throat as Bonnie wrapped her arms around me. Bending to kiss her head, I closed my eyes and breathed her in. _I will die before I let anything happen to you_.

She heard me and looked into my eyes. _Same here, my love._ She smiled at me and we both looked at Stefan. "You were saying," she said to him, coaxing him to continue.

"Yes, Augustine," Stefan said aloud and stood. _My brother and his theatrics. Just tell the story._ I rolled my eyes and Bonnie caught me in the ribs with her elbow. She was standing in front of me with my arms around her waist, listening intently. Stefan gave me a look that was meant to scold me, and I had to hold back a laugh. "Augustine was what you all might call a pirate," he said, walking around the room and looking at everyone when he spoke.

"Like Johnny Depp kinda pirate?" Mutt said from his seat. I _had_ to roll my eyes. Surely Bonnie couldn't begrudge me _that_.

Meredith giggled and covered her mouth, and Elena smiled. _I am so glad you all find this blood-thirsty freak amusing_. Bonnie looked back at me over her shoulder again and I shook my head. "Um, no Matt. He was like the whole 'rob people, rape and pillage' kind of pirate. Make sense?"

The girls shuddered visibly and Mutt nodded. "He lived a long time doing this sort of thing until Angelo came out of hiding."

Bonnie raised her hand to get her turn on the floor. Stefan nodded at her. "Why was he hiding?"

"That's where I come in," I said from behind her. She turned in front of me, still locked in my embrace, and opened her huge brown eyes wide. Pools of milk chocolate that sucked me in and I licked my lips involuntarily. I smiled and she blushed. _I'll never tire of _that_ either. _"Angelo had been running underground for a long time. He would lure his victims down into the 'clubs' of those days and take what he wanted. He would never leave a victim alive to be able to identify him. But he messed up, just once, and she pointed him out to her father, who just happened to be a governor at the time. Angelo disappeared, and I took over. Simple as that."

"That's it? That's the whole story?" Meredith was on the edge of her chair, and she looked downright _disgusted_ that that's where the story ended.

I chuckled. "I'm sorry, were you expecting more?"

"Well…yeah. I mean you go on and on about how dangerous this guy is and how we need to stay away from him, but yet you leave stuff out." Elena huffed as she stood, obviously in agreement with Meredith. "Like why did Augustine stop doing what he was doing once Angelo came back?"

I shruuged indifferently. "Because Daddy told him to."

Stefan couldn't hold back his laughter and the girls looked at both of us like we were mad. I suppose we truly were at this point, having seen all we had seen throughout the years. "What…he means…to say…is…that Angelo…put his…foot down," Stefan barely got out between his laughs.

The girls and Mutt looked at Stefan, who was now doubled over in laughter, and me, who truthfully was no better. The only difference was that I hid my laughter in Bonnie's curls.

Meredith let out a frustrated grunt and pushed herself off Alaric's lap, who looked like he too would burst out in hysterics.

"What the hell is so funny!" Elena shrieked as she threw her hands up in the air.

Stefan walked over to her and put his hands on her arms. "My love, it's true what Damon said. It just came out really comical. I think we all needed a laugh."

Elena gave him a look that told us all she did _not_ find it so amusing, and Stefan sobered instantly, clearing his throat and turning back to the rest of us. "I think we should call it a night. I mean, We've all had a long day."

Everyone agreed and started toward the door, laughing and joking.

For once, it would seem that we would have an uneventful evening. And that was perfectly fine with the rest of us.

_**So, we can't have cliffies all the time, right? Know that now since they're starting to know more about Angelo, he'll be featured again sometime soon. **_

_**Tell me what you're thinking…And as stated before, I have another idea floating in my head, and I think I'm goin Twilight. But if I can't update this one as frequently as I'd like, I really should wait to post that one, right? Right.**_

_**Oh! And of course I have the sequel to Shock to the System. I've written 3 chapters of that one, so if you haven't checked out STTS, please mosey on over and take a gander at it. I think I may write out more before I post and try to stay ahead of the game.**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Ok, so I took some time off because let's face it, we're all pretty busy aren't we? But then I realized though I left it at a pretty good spot, it's not over yet.**_

_**And…drum roll please…I've been asked to beta a story! Yay me! I'll keep you updated on that one, and make sure I send you her way!**_

_**This chapter got a little graphic, so I toned it way down. But it still may not be suitable for those with weak stomachs and powerful imaginations. Read at your own risk.**_

_**So where were we?**_

**23**

_**Damon**_

It had been two months since everyone had learned the truth about Angelo, the elders, and my true past. All in all it had been fairly quiet. I knew it was just a matter of time before Angelo returned now that he knew where to find us. Bonnie had no more episodes, and none of us really knew what that was about anyway. She never mentioned it again after that day. My only concern was finding Angelo before he found us.

Which didn't take very long after all.

We were all at the farmers market in Malibu over the fourth of July weekend. Elena and Stefan had just flown in the night before, and Alaric and Meredith had gotten in that morning. The only one missing was Mutt, which was perfectly fine with me. Bonnie had heard my thoughts regarding his absence, and though she wasn't overjoyed that he wasn't coming this time, she wasn't too upset by it either. During their last stay here, Mutt had made it more than clear that he didn't approve of Bonnie's feelings for me, and even less of our union. I think it had finally hit my wife that he would never be happy for us, so she basically cut him off. No phone calls, emails, nothing. And even though it made me happy, I knew how it affected her, so I never mentioned it. Anything that made my wife unhappy made me unhappy.

We rounded a corner and reached the melons when I heard the laugh that made my skin crawl. There, directly in front of us, stood Angelo Esposito with his arm draped lazily over a blond co-ed. She giggled, clearly drunk, and played with the buttons on Angelo's polo shirt. As long as I had known him, and as adaptable as he could be, seeing him amongst the people of this time was strange. He looked like he was one of them…like he _fit in_.

I shuddered as we made eye contact. He nodded toward me, and as I blinked, he was gone.

Bonnie felt me stiffen and looked up at me. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing," I whispered, sure I was seeing things. I heard his laugh again as I spun around, releasing Bonnie and quickly putting her behind me.

Bonnie's breathing quickened as she saw him too. "Salvatore…and Salvatore! How good to see you!" Angelo threw his hands up and walked over to us. It reminded me of the time I had spent with him decades ago in England. The locals had treated him like a king, draping his body with robes and fine linens. "And oh yes! The other Salvatore brother and his betrothed! I don't think I've had the pleasure…" Angelo leaned in and took Elena's hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her knuckles softly as he took a deep breath. He looked up at her with only his eyes and grinned hungrily.

Stefan saw it too, and grabbed Elena by the waist, putting himself between her and Angelo. "Esposito, what brings you to Malibu?"

Angelo stood slowly, watching us before he motioned to his companion. "I ran into Cindy here at the library. We were going to a party later and she wanted to purchase a watermelon. Something about the fruit and alcohol…" He turned to the blond who was standing behind him. "Isn't that right, dear?"

Cindy nodded with wide eyes. "Uh huh. That's right!"

_Could he have found anyone dumber than this girl?_ I tightened my grip on Bonnie's hand. "Really? That's funny. We were going to the same party, I think." Bonnie said as she leaned slightly over my shoulder.

I knew I didn't have to protect her anymore, and she did too. She smirked at me as she stepped to my side, and then slightly in front of me. _I know_, she thought to me, _habit._

I nodded and smiled at her. Angelo watched us and then finally cleared his throat. "Well, we really should be going." He reached for Cindy's hand, and began to tug her after him as he walked away. "Perhaps we'll meet up later," he called over his shoulder as they walked away, with Cindy bouncing along looking like a rag doll.

We all stood silently and watched as he rounded the corner. Meredith turned to us and shrugged. "Well that was just awkward."

I shrugged back. "At least we don't have to guess where he is."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she watched me walk over to one of the candy stands and pick up a lollipop. _Cherry…mmm._ Her thoughts immediately went to what my lips could do to her instead of the lollipop and she smiled mischievously. _Maybe we should head home before the party._

Who was I to stop her?

_**Bonnie**_

I stepped out of the shower into the now steamy bedroom and glanced over to Damon where he sat on the bed. He was scrolling through his phone, looking for a phone number I assumed. Of course I could never sneak up on him, and as soon as I was next to him he turned and pounced on me, putting me under him quicker than I could register. "Hi," he said as he licked his lips.

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me as I watched his tongue trace his bottom lip. "Didn't we just go over this?"

"Mmm, that we did." He growled low and began to pull my towel from where it was tucked tightly under my arms. "But I can't say I _ever_ get enough of you."

"Do you ever stop?"

He brought his head back to look at me with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry, did you want me to?"

I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down to kiss him feverishly. "Oh hell no. I can't get enough of you either."

We may never get out of this house.

The sound of the music in the house thumped from the moment the car turned off. Damon looked over at me with his eyebrows in his hair. "Are we sure we wanna go in there? I have a headache just _thinking_ of going inside."

I slapped him playfully on the arm. "Of course we do. The others are meeting us here. We can't leave them hangin'! Come on," I said, pulling him by the sleeve of his jacket. "I promise, if you don't have fun we can leave."

"And have our _own_ fun?" His smile was devilish…and totally turning me on.

I had to close my eyes before I answered. "Yes," I sighed, utterly defeated. "But we have to go inside and _try_ first. Deal?"

He shook the hand I had extended before he leaned down and brushed his lips across my knuckles. He inhaled deeply and looked up at me through his lashes. _Oh God…we may have to leave a little early after all_. Damon chuckled and stood, tucking my arm in his and kissing the top of my head. "After you, Mrs. Salvatore."

We had successfully kept up the façade of the newly married college couple. Yes, we lived in a fabulous house overlooking the hills of Malibu, with our backyard basically butting up to the beach. _Sure, this was _totally_ normal at our age._ I rolled my eyes internally at the thought of Damon and I ever being normal. A young co-ed falls in love with a handsome, centuries old vampire, ultimately becoming one herself as she was thrown out of her bathroom window in the ultimate fight to the death….we could be the ultimate love story.

I giggled softly as we entered the living area of the frat house. It reeked of warm beer and stale pretzels, and my stomach turned as soon as we stepped inside. I looked at Damon and his expression mirrored my own. "Yuck," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Tell me about it." We walked a little further in and spotted Meredith and Alaric at the small bar in the corner waving us over.

"What can I get you, man?" The guy behind the bar looked like a professional, throwing bottles and glasses around like it was second nature.

"I'll have a cold beer, whatever you got back there," Damon said absently.

The bartender looked him up and down. "Don't suppose you have your I.D.?"

Damon smiled and looked him directly in his eyes. "Sorry, forgot it in my other jeans."

The bartender smirked at him and simply nodded. "S' cool man. Don't sweat it."

Damon turned back to me and grinned. "No, that wasn't awkward at all."

I narrowed my eyebrows at him. "What wasn't awkward?"

"I used my Power on a guy. That's gotta be a first…ever." He shuddered and I punched him in the arm playfully. He laughed, and I saw the man I fell in love with. His eyes sparkled, and strangely enough, he looked like he was in his element. I was in awe of this man standing before me, both beautiful and deadly.

We spotted Angelo and Cindy across the room. He looked like he was playing some sort of drinking game with a handful of guys while Cindy was cheering him on, obviously drunk again. Stefan and Elena had joined us only moments before and I saw both Salvatore brothers stiffen as they watched this predator amongst humans. Drunk, clueless humans at that. It went against every instinct of ours to allow this scene to play out. I could feel the tension rolling off both Damon and Stefan, and we watched silently. The humans in our group watched us as our muscles twitched under the pressure of trying to remain still.

Stefan leaned casually against the wall, pulling Elena to stand in between his feet with her back to his chest, and wrapped his arms around her waist. To anyone else it looked like he was kissing her neck, but I could see his eyes and like ours, they were trained on Angelo. Meredith and Alaric were holding hands next to us, and Damon held me tightly around the waist. Occasionally we would pretend we were deep in conversation, but with our keen hearing, we never missed a word that was said in the corner.

Damon closed his eyes at the shrill laughter that erupted from Cindy more than once over some ridiculous parlor trick Angelo performed, and we all had to cringe. It sounded like nails on a chalkboard and it grated on my nerves. I started walking forward to shut her up and felt Damon tug on my arm lightly, shaking his head, almost imperceptive to anyone but me. "Wait," he whispered as his lips caressed my earlobe. "Things are just about to get good."

One of the frat boys called out, "Who wants to play hide and seek!" I stifled a laugh at the irony of college kids playing a child's game, and Damon smiled at me. _Normally, cara, this would be the opportune time for me to take wild advantage of you_, he thought as his eyes raked over my body. _But we'll have to watch how this pans out._

I nodded and pouted slightly. Damon's finger pushed my lip up slightly and he growled. "Mine, all mine…" he said, leaning in to kiss me. "And I intend to take make good on that wild advantage thing later."

I smiled and leaned back just as the lights went out. I could hear Meredith's gasp from my side. I grabbed her hand, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark she smiled at me. "You can see perfectly, can't you?"

I nodded and smiled back. "One of the perks, I guess."

She smirked at me and turned to grab Alaric's hand again. "So, what now?"

Damon motioned Stefan and Elena over to us and he whispered just loud enough for the humans in our group to hear. "Angelo's planning on ambushing the co-eds and taking out as many of them as he can. I heard his thoughts as we walked in, but I don't think he knew we had arrived yet. His plans may have changed, but we still need to watch him."

Stefan nodded and took Elena with him to scan one side of the house. The music was still blaring from every speaker so we knew the power hadn't gone out. Meredith and Alaric would not be going by themselves, and Meredith gave me a strange look. "Damon," I rubbed his bicep slowly, looking into his eyes and using not my Power, but his devotion to me in my favor. "You take Meredith and I'll take Alaric. I trust you."

His eyes widened, and at that moment something changed. Knowing that I trusted him enough to allow him to be alone with one of my best friends, knowing that he would not hurt her, meant the world to him. I could tell from his expression that he knew we were one, in every sense of the word. I knew he would die before he did something to hurt me, and he knew that anyone hurting _them_ would kill me. They were _all_ my family now. He nodded and held his hand out to Meredith. She glanced at me, and when I nodded, she took his hand and they walked into the crowd.

"Ok, Alaric, you're with me." I gave him my hand and we set off in the opposite direction. I could see everyone running and laughing, thinking it was all a game. Little did they know they were in a very deadly version of cat and mouse. "Stay close," I whispered over my shoulder to Alaric. "He's near, I can smell him."

"You can _smell_ him?" Alaric's nose turned up and he looked at me with the oddest expression.

"Sure, I can smell everyone in here." I spun around to face him and he jumped slightly. "But that doesn't mean I wanna taste any of them."

His face contorted into a grimace. "Ok, Bonnie, that's just gross."

"Well it's true! You know what I am now, and what's a natural reaction for me." I shrugged. "No one in this room is appealing enough for me to want to taste their blood. And you know by now Damon holds a different appeal to me." I expected him to make another face, but instead he waggled his eyebrows at me and started singing something along the lines of 'bow-chicka-bow-wow'. I knew my jaw dropped and I was surprised when we both start laughing.

We walked at a snails pace through the room and I stopped short when I slammed into another strong scent, almost like a physical wall. It was not one I recognized, but I knew immediately that it was another vampire. My instinct was to call to Damon, mentally of course, but not knowing who this stranger was stopped me. I had no clue who it was, nor did I know if he or she could 'hear' me as well. I looked back at Alaric and held my finger up to my lips. He nodded and crouched lower.

We heard the scream come from the back of the house, and almost too quickly, I was running with Alaric in tow. I could hear him yelling for me to slow down and wait for the others, but my feet took over. I stopped just before the doorway to the backyard just as Damon and Stefan reached me. "Did you catch that other scent?"

Elena, Meredith and Alaric caught up to us, doubled over and breathing heavily. "What the hell was that?" Elena shrieked between gasps.

"Shh!" Stefan whispered sharply. "He's still here."

"I know," Damon and I said together. "Is it familiar to you?" Damon was looking at Stefan, but I still shook my head.

"Not one I know. You?" Stefan's eyes darted around so fast had I still been human I would've been dizzy just trying to keep up.

"I know I've run across it before, but not recently. Not even in _their_ lifetime," he said, gesturing to the rest of us with his chin.

"An elder?" Meredith asked from behind Alaric's shoulder. "Do you think an elder may be here?"

Damon looked to be thinking about it before he spoke again in an even more hushed tone than before. "It's possible. They could be trying to tighten the reigns on our _friend_."

"I think we're missing something here," Elena whispered. "I heard a scream, and I know you all heard it too."

We all looked at one another and then heard a second scream coming from the pool area. Stefan was the first one out and he stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh no," he whispered just as we reached him.

The scene before us was straight out of a horror movie. The Jacuzzi overflowed into the pool below, and the once clear water was now red. A girl was lying on the ledge where the water flowed, her neck strangely twisted away from us, as the blood dripped down into the water. It looked like whoever got to her had been interrupted. _By us?_ I asked Damon mentally, and he shook his head. "Angelo."

_**Damon**_

Stefan and Elena took off to one side of the house before we could really form our game plan. The music seemed to get louder as I tried to think, and I almost rubbed my temples as if it would help. Meredith and Alaric couldn't do anything by themselves, so it would be pointless to pair them together. "Damon," Bonnie called to me and rubbed my bicep slowly, looking into my eyes. "You take Meredith and I'll take Alaric. I trust you."

I knew my eyes widened. Knowing she trusted me with someone she considered to be one of her sisters was overwhelming. I could feel my insides start to weaken at her admission, and I fell silent. There was nothing more important to me than Bonnie's trust in me. She loved me, that I knew, but to hear how much she _trusted_ me was something altogether different. I nodded and held my hand out to Meredith. She glanced at Bonnie, and she nodded. I knew Meredith was frightened, but she took my hand and I led her into the crowd right behind me.

I could feel Meredith shaking and I wasn't sure if it was the cooler temperature of my skin or the situation, so I loosened my grip on her hand, but she grabbed me with her other hand and squeezed. I looked back at her and she smiled sheepishly. "You don't have to worry, Meredith. I won't hurt you."

She cleared her throat and looked down at her feet. "I know that. I always knew you would never hurt me."

"Did you?" I stopped walking and she looked up just before she ran into my back. I let go of her and pulled her into a corner. "And just how did you know that?"

She raised her chin and looked me square in the eye. "Because I knew you loved Bonnie before _you _did, and to hurt the people she loves would kill her. So I knew you wouldn't."

I cocked my head to the side and looked her up and down. "Really? So you're not scared of me?"

I saw her shiver slightly. "I didn't say that. I said you would never hurt me. There _is _a difference."

I nodded slowly and then shrugged indifferently. "Yes, I suppose there is. And you're right. I would never hurt anyone that meant something to Bonnie. It's the only reason Mutt is still breathing."

Meredith blew out a sharp breath and turned away from me. "Y'know, you really need to let that go."

I shuffled behind her. "Oh I have. It's your dear friend that can't seem to get over it."

Meredith turned on me and was toe to toe with me when she closed her eyes and tried to control her temper. She may not have been scared of me, but she knew better than to anger a killer. "He loves her. We all do. He was just trying to protect her. Who knew you would turn out to be such a softie with her?"

She turned away again and I muttered under my breath. "I am _not_ a softie."

Ok, maybe I was.

We continued our walk through the house when another scent damn near slapped me across the face. I recognized it as one of my kind, and I had run across it before. I crouched low, motioning for Meredith to follow me into my stance and we crept closer to the wall.

A high pitched scream pierced my ears and before I could stop myself I took off in full sprint toward where Bonnie's scent was calling to me. We all reached the back door at the same time and waited for our human partners to catch up. Stefan spoke first. "Did you catch that other scent?"

The humans finally caught up to us, all trying to catch their breaths. "What the hell was that?" Elena shrieked.

"Shh!" Stefan whispered sharply, and I had to hold my tongue before I laughed out loud. "He's still here." It was about time someone put Elena in her place.

"I know," Bonnie and I said together. "Is it familiar to you?" I was looking at Stefan, but I noticed Bonnie shake her head.

"Not one I know. You?" Stefan's eyes darted around the room

"I know I've run across it before, but not recently. Not even in _their_ lifetime," I whispered, gesturing to the rest of our group with my chin.

"An elder?" Meredith asked from behind her husband. "Do you think an elder may be here?"

That was a good question. Elders were our kind's 'peacekeepers' of sorts. If they knew Angelo was around, they were sure to be following him "It's possible. They could be trying to tighten the reigns on our _friend_."

"I think we're missing something here," Elena whispered. "I heard a scream, and I know you all heard it too."

We were looking at one another when a second scream came from the pool area. Stefan was the first one out and he stopped right outside the large group that had formed. "Oh no," he whispered as we reached him.

The spa overflowed into the pool below it, and the water was now red, stained with human blood. A girl was lying on the ledge where the water flowed, her neck grotesquely twisted in the most unnatural way, as the blood dripped down her slender fingers. Whoever had been here had intended to drain her but was most likely interrupted. _By us?_ Bonnie asked me mentally, and I shook my head. "Angelo."

Elena and Meredith both gasped. "Is that…?"

I nodded. "Yes, it's Cindy."

A large group of police officers came through the back gate and I turned just as a dark figure flew out as they ran in. I caught Stefan's eye and we both blurred out of sight amongst the protesting of the others in our group. _Damon!_ Bonnie's inner voice screamed at me. _You can't leave me here to face this alone!_

_ Cara, I saw something. Stefan and I are just going to check it out. I promise I _will_ come back to you._

I could hear her angry thoughts, and they started to quiet the further I got from her. We stopped in a small clearing just off the beach. _I hadn't realized there were trees lining the beaches here_, Stefan thought to me.

_Guess you haven't noticed my landscaping then, brother._ He glared at me and I simply raised my eyebrows at him.

Before we could say anything else, a group of cloaked figures began to emerge from the shadows on either side of us. We both immediately tensed up and prepared to fight as my vision went black.

The last thing I heard was footsteps in the sand coming toward me and all I could think of was my promise.

_Cara, I _will_ come back to you. _

_**I PROMISE, PROMISE, PROMISE to update quicker this time! I swear it!**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**I got nothing.**_

_**See you at the bottom.**_

**24**

_**Bonnie**_

Hours.

That's how much time had passed since we left the frat house.

I was hysterical, of course, and Meredith and Elena were trying their best to calm me. Alaric was driving Damon's recently acquired Escalade, and Meredith and Elena sat in the back with me. One of them had been rubbing circles on my back, but I honestly couldn't tell you which one, nor did I care.

Something was wrong. I couldn't hear Damon, and I knew he couldn't hear me.

It was like a valve had been closed off. The flow of energy had been cinched. I knew there was no way to stop our connection, so that told me something _had_ to be wrong.

But still I kept trying. _Damon. Please answer me. _

Nothing.

_You once told me you could hear me from the other side of the globe, I _know_ you can hear me now. Please?_

Nada.

Somehow we had gotten back to my house and now I noticed I was in my bed, still wearing my clothes, but in a fetal position. I could hear the voices around me.

_Maybe we should go look for them?_

_ No. Stefan said they would be back._

_ But they'd both go back to the frat house, don't you think?_

_ They'll find us. They _have_ to. Damon can't leave her._

_ Sure he can, but he won't._

_ No, I mean he physically_ can't_. They're just as tied to each other as Stefan and I are. To be away from her for too long will hurt him, not to mention what it would do to her._

"Did you forget how good my ears are now? I can hear you." It wasn't like they were far away; they were standing in my doorway for crying out loud! "Just come in already."

Elena poked her head around the door. "Honey? Are you ok?"

I sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees and looked up at them as they approached me. "Let's see…an almost instant replay of the night Mr. Tanner died happened again tonight, my husband and brother-in-law saw some shadowy figure leaving the scene and decided to check it out, and now they're both missing…" I tapped my finger on my chin and looked up at the ceiling. "Sure, I'm peachy."

"Sarcasm was never one of your biggest traits, McCullough- Salvatore." Meredith said as she sat down next to me. "We'll find him. Stefan too. We'll find them both."

I looked at her, so sure and confident, and wished I could agree. "Salvatore," I whispered.

"What?"

"Just Salvatore," I said again, and the tears started to flow. Meredith rocked me until I fell asleep, but it wasn't a good sleep. I was tortured by images of our evening, making love over and over, the past few months, the entire year. Every image that flooded my mind was of my husband, from our wedding to the life we were making here, our honeymoon in Italy, down to the moment I met the elders.

I woke with a start and jumped out of my bed. Meredith screamed as I flew past her down the hallway to my living room and threw myself onto the floor just in front of the coffee table.

"Trance!" I commanded myself. "Trance damnit! You know you can! Do it!"

I wasn't sure if it was my tears, or one of the girls rocking me now, but I cried till there was nothing left and curled up into a ball on the floor, sleep finally pulling me back under.

I opened my eyes to the brightest light I had ever seen, and when I lifted my head, I noticed the sand falling out of my hair. "What the hell?" I didn't know how I had gotten onto the beach, or when exactly, but I couldn't see anything else for miles in any direction. I turned back to where my house should be and jumped when I saw a man standing next to a tree, his arms crossed in front of him.

"It's about time ye turned around, lassie," he said in the thickest Scottish accent I had ever heard. His hair was a deep shade of red, and his eyes were a solid mossy green. "I was beginnin' to wonder how hard ye hit yer head."

"I'm sorry, what?" I turned around and looked out toward the water and then back to the man. He reminded me of a leprechaun and I giggled softly.

"Now thas not very nice, Bonnie," he said shaking his head and frowning.

I stiffened as I narrowed my eyes at him. "How do you know my name?"

He laughed and bent at the waist, slapping his knee as he shook. "Why _wouldn't _I know yer name? What a funny gal!" And he laughed again. He _kept _laughing until it wore my nerves and I cleared my throat. He looked back at me, wiping the tears that had collected during his laugh fest and shrugged. "I expect yer here to ask me something?"

I threw my hands in the air, exasperated. "I have no idea who you are, why I'm here, or how I even _got_ here to begin with. So unless you can tell me all that, I don't have anything I need to know from you!"

I turned on my heel and began to walk away when I heard him whisper, "Yer so much like her."

I chanced another glance at him and he was hanging his head, singing some old Scottish song to himself. "So much like _who_?"

"Yer Gran. Lordy was she a vixen, too." His face fell then, and it clicked.

I knew exactly who this was.

"Granddad?"

He smiled and looked into my eyes. It was exactly like looking into a mirror, now that I paid attention, only my eyes were brown. People had told me for years that I looked like my grandfather, but he died when I was very small and I couldn't remember him no matter how hard I tried. "Is that you?"

"Aye," he said and held his arms open for me. I ran to him and threw myself into his embrace. "Ye may look like me, but ye act just lik her. Always questioning the world when it stares ye in the face."

"Granddad, I don't understand. Do you always talk in riddles?" He laughed then, and I could feel it vibrate through his chest. He was young, much like he must've looked when they met, and I could see why she had fallen for him. I suddenly felt very bad about my leprechaun thought earlier and then I gasped. "I didn't say that leprechaun comment out loud, but you heard it. How?"

He laughed again and pulled me away to look at me. "Where did ye think ye got yer intuition from?"

"You?" I was shocked. I always thought my sense came from my Gran, but maybe he told her what to expect. Maybe he knew what I would be, and to what extent.

I gasped again and pulled myself out of his embrace. "Granddad, how much do you know?"

"Ah lassie," he said and walked over to a log that appeared out of nowhere. "I've been watching you fer years. I know _everything_," he said, and winked.

_Great, he knows about me being intimate with my husband._

I looked over at him and he shook his head, patting the log beside him. "There are certain things I blocked out, lassie. Certain things a granddad doesn't need to know about his granddaughter."

I felt a light blush and then remembered why I must be here. "Granddad? Can you help me find him?"

"Is he lost?" He chuckled lightly and his eyes looked sad.

"Well, yeah," I shrugged and looked down at my hands that were folded in my lap. "He was taken from me."

"Ah…Damon, is it?"

I felt my chest tighten at the mention of his name. "Yes, Granddad. He went to play hero and now he's gone. I don't even know how long he's been gone."

"Three days."

My breath flew completely out of my lungs, like I got the wind knocked out of me. "Three days? Is that how long I've been here?"

Granddad shook his head. "No, child," he hung his head again. "That's how long you've been asleep."

I narrowed my eyes at my grandfather. Clearly he was mistaken. I had just closed my eyes a minute ago. "No, that can't be."

He chuckled again. "Bonnie, please listen to my words. Ye have put yerself into this sleeping state. Ye asked for my help, and I'm giving it to ye. But ye have to listen very closely. Are ye ready?"

Try as I might, I couldn't stop my head from spinning, and I just hoped my subconscious could remember what he was about to tell me. "Yes, Granddad. Go ahead."

I closed my eyes as he started to speak. "Yer always looking for what ye already know. It's as plain as the nose on yer face, lassie. Just open yer eyes"

I took a deep breath, and listened intently to what he was saying. I leaned into him, trying to feel his warmth again and fell.

Hard. Against…the floor?

My eyes flew open and sure enough I was on the floor in my bedroom. It was still dark, so either Granddad was wrong, and it was still the night Damon and Stefan disappeared, or it really had been three days and I was no longer comatose.

I jumped up and ran down the stairs looking for the girls. I heard them in the formal living room, whispering about what to do with me, and I ran in. Elena screamed and Meredith grabbed her chest to stop her heart from beating itself up and out of her throat.

"I know where they are!"

_**Damon**_

I had no clue how long we had been here, nor did I know where we were. I could feel someone else in the room with me, assuming I was in a _room_, but it was too dark to really tell. _How odd…it's _never_ too dark for my eyes._

_ Oh hell…am I truly dead now?_

_ No, Damon,_ I heard from somewhere beside me. _We're both still alive, but I'm not sure for how much longer._

Stefan. Since he was talking to my mind directly, I could only guess we weren't alone. _So you saw it too?_

_Mmhm, and I followed you. What's going on? Where are we?_

_ I don't have any clue. I can't see a thing._ I tried to lift my head from where I was laying and the pain shot through clear to my eyes. _Lifting the head…not such a good idea._

We heard rustling from across the room and stood completely still. Whoever had entered the room smelled like roses. _A woman?_ I instantly stiffened and let my senses work, since my sight was obviously impaired at the moment.

"They're awake," the woman whispered, and I could hear her footsteps coming closer to me. I had never been without my sight, and I wasn't sure if this would work or not, but as soon as she was close enough I jumped to my feet, pulling her flush against me and grabbing her throat. Once my grip was firm enough I extended my arm up and out. She struggled for only a moment and then went limp.

"Who are you?" I bellowed at her, and began to blink furiously. There was something in my eyes, I could feel it. The girl was still breathing so I knew I hadn't killed her…yet.

"Damon, please…" she managed to get out as she clawed at my hand. I would squeeze; I _wanted_ to squeeze the life out of her. But she was our ticket out of whatever hell we were in.

And then a thought occurred to me.

_Misao._

"Give me my sight back, witch!" I lowered her enough so her feet could touch the ground but I did not let go.

She coughed once and reached up to my face, though it felt like she was trying to caress me. _No one_ was allowed to touch me the way my wife did, especially if this was who I thought it was. She began to touch my eyes, and miraculously I could see again, and the girl in front of me was not Misao.

Cindy looked at me and grinned, giggling like a schoolgirl. I supposed she was and I threw her away from me. I scanned the room for my brother and noticed he was chained to a wall to my right. We looked like we were back in the tomb in Fell's Church, where Elena had died as a vampire, and I knew Stefan could see the resemblance in the locations. He wouldn't look me in the eye, and I could feel the sorrow from that day coming over him.

_Not now, Stefan. We need to get the hell out of here first._

He nodded and looked back at Cindy, who was now on her feet and watching us both. "Are you done now?" She said, sounding a tad annoyed.

I looked her up and down. She didn't have the stance we vampires usually held and I cocked my head to the side as I walked to her, flashing her the same devilish smile I used to flash Bonnie. _Bonnie. My love, my life._ My steps faltered slightly but I kept my cool. I had to if I ever wanted to see my wife again. "Cindy, where are we?"

Her eyes glazed over as my Power worked her mind. "We're in a cove, Dead Man's Cove."

I knew Dead Man's Cove. It was just South of my home. _The home I share with Bonnie_. "What are we doing here, Cindy?"

"Angelo told me to bring you here. He's just a bonus," she said blankly gesturing to Stefan with her chin.

"Why? Why did Angelo want me here?"

"Because he wants _them_."

_Them? _"Who does he want, Cindy? I need you to be very specific."

She giggled. "The blond…and your priestess."

My breath caught in my throat and I could hear Stefan's do the same. "Why?"

Cindy shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? He just kept taking about them while we were making out, and I thought maybe he was freaky and wanted a threesome or something like that but then-"

I had to cut her off. Her voice was annoying enough without her incessant babbling. "Where is Angelo now?"

She laughed and then instantly straightened as if someone had pulled her neck by a rope. "You're too late. He's already with them. I bet the blond screams right before he snaps her neck."

Before I really registered what was going on, Stefan growled low and broke the chains that held him as though they were made of nothing but rice paper. He was across the room and his hands were around her throat. His eyes went completely black as he put his hands on either side of her face and twisted, the sickening crack of her breaking neck resonating throughout the room.

The only sound in the room now was our breathing. We both looked down at Cindy's lifeless body and I turned to my brother. "So that was what? Food coloring in the pool?"

Stefan looked at me with his eyes wide and crazed. It took him a moment and when he shook his head and blinked he seemed to come out of his trance. "How far are we?"

We didn't speak again. We ran as fast as we could toward the direction of my house, and prayed the girls were still there.

And alone.

_**Bonnie**_

"Bonnie, wait!" I heard Elena calling after me, but my only thought was getting to my husband. I threw my hair back into a high ponytail and turned to run out of the bathroom, running straight into a tall figure.

"What the…?"

Angelo Esposito stood in my bedroom, his arms crossed in front of him. "Bonnie, thank God you're ok. I saw Damon leave and I had to come and check on you."

I heard what he was saying, but it didn't register. "What? Oh, yeah, thanks. I have to go," I said, trying to push my way past him but he was blocking me.

"Bonnie, I really think you should stay here. Wait for Damon to come home."

It made sense…didn't it?

_No!_ I had to get to Damon. "Angelo, I really have to go."

I could feel something pulling at me in my head, like someone was…_changing my mind._

I tried to wrench myself away from the pull and my head started to hurt. "What the hell are you doing to me?"

Angelo smiled and I felt the bile rise in my throat. He started to get blurry and I fought against the waves of calm trying to spread throughout my body. _He cannot win! I have to find my husband!_ "Relax, Bonnie. The more you struggle, the more it will hurt. And I have no desire to hurt you."

I could hear Meredith trying to break into the room, and it occurred to me that he might have hurt Elena, cause I couldn't hear her now. She sounded so far away and I had to struggle to understand what she was saying. "Bonnie!" she screamed. "Just open your eyes!"

_How did she know my eyes were closed?_ I felt my head bobbing as Angelo worked his Power on me. _That's it! Granddad said I knew it all along Bonnie¸_ I screamed at myself inside my head, _OPEN YOUR EYES!_

My eyes snapped open and I felt every ounce of my Power light up my body, warming me from the inside out. I looked at Angelo and felt the anger bubbling over. "You will leave my house!" I didn't recognize my own voice as I spoke, and I felt myself virtually floating up like I was flying. No, levitating was a better word. Angelo's eyes went wide and he began to cower under me.

Then I was in front of him, my hands around his throat and I looked him deep in his eyes. "I don't ever want to see you again, Angelo Esposito. I will spare your life if you never set foot back in this country again."

He nodded slowly. My Power had him speechless. Before I could gloat, I needed to make sure Damon and Stefan were ok. "You will release my husband and my brother-in-law immediately."

Angelo nodded again and started to pull his phone out of his pocket when I stopped him. "You leave your hands in front of you. Tell me where you have them."

"Cindy told me about it. It's a cove. Somewhere not far from here. But they're both dead. I killed them myself."

My heart began to break and subconsciously the anger took over. It was exactly as it had been when I killed Francesca, and I bit into him like his neck was a buttered biscuit. The flavor of centuries past flowed through my body and he didn't fight, he just let me take. _This was better. No struggle, no fight. I can drink him dry; humiliate him the way Damon humiliated Stefan…_

I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes and it set off more rage. I wanted revenge. This _thing_ killed my love, and my brother-in-law, the one Elena was meant to be with.

_Elena!_ I snapped my head back in time to see Angelo's body fall to the floor and I licked my lips in satisfaction. I had to get to her and make sure she was ok. I couldn't hear Meredith now either, but my intuition told me Angelo didn't want her. Between my Power, my Druid ties, and Elena's aura, we were a threat to him. I wasn't sure how I knew that exactly, but before I could think about it I was out the door and running down the stairs to the foyer.

The most beautiful sound permeated throughout my entire body and I collapsed into his arms.

"_Cara…"_

_**Ok, I hope I did it justice. And nomalar96, I hope I caught you! Now you can read and enjoy your vacation!**_

_**In case you're wondering about the dialogue with Granddad, I used this Scottish slang dictionary, so in no means was it meant to offend anyone, I just wanted you to kind of get the feel of **_**how**_** he was speaking. Make sense? **_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Guess I owe you all an apology, huh?**_

_**It was never my intention to wait THIS LONG to update…but between issues and RL…it was inevitable. Oh, and then my flash drive went MIA, and when I found it, it fried my USB hub on my computer…Yeah, it's been rough for me. **_

_**Anyway, let's get this show on the road, shall we?**_

**25**

_**Bonnie**_

_ Dear Diary,_

_ Boy, it's been a while since I've written, hasn't it? _

_ I _cannot_ believe the turn my life has taken. It seems like just yesterday we were all graduating high school, and then Elena came back, and…well, it's been quite a ride._

_ Let me tell you where everyone is now. Meredith and Alaric are expecting their first baby. A little girl they're naming Jessa. I bet she'll be beautiful. Elena and Stefan finally got married too. It was the most romantic event I have ever witnessed. They said their vows just before midnight on New Year's Eve, and when the clock struck midnight, they kissed. It was breathtaking. Almost as gorgeous as my wedding. *smile*_

_ Matt has a new girlfriend. Her name is Veronica. She's related to Vickie Bennett somehow, like a second cousin or something. They wound up at Ithaca together. I didn't even know Matt had _applied_ there! Anyway, they hit it off instantly, and have been together about 6 months now. We don't talk much anymore, which I guess is just as well considering he hates the one thing that keeps me alive these days._

_ Damon._

_ What do you say about a god in man form? Ok, ok…he's not _the _God, but he's just as sacred to me. Every night since the run-in with Angelo over half a year ago, we've been joined in some way. Mostly physically, of course, since we're still newlyweds. But we use our Power on each other almost daily to strengthen each other. We will _never_ be at a disadvantage again._

_ I have come to terms with the fact that Damon and I will never be parents. But we'll be Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Damon to Jessa, and that's good enough for me. Somehow I can't imagine Damon changing diapers! And eventually Jessa will notice that her parents and Elena get older, but Damon, Stefan, and I never age. Damon says we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I used to wonder what our babies would look like. I've never told him this, but I would've loved a little girl with Damon's eyes. I even had her named. Iliana Rose Salvatore. Isn't that pretty? Oh well, maybe I'll let Elena and Stefan use it when they have babies._

_ Before you ask, no, we are _not_ sure Stefan can father a child. We assume he can, but the question never really came up, and Damon and I were careful when we were intimate while I was still human. No one really knows, though there are some interesting stories out there about rogue vampires fathering numerous children with unsuspecting women. I don't think anything was ever recorded about the children, or the mothers, for that matter. But I can't imagine both would have survived. One would probably have killed the other._

_ That said, I imagine we'll be moving from here pretty soon. People are starting to talk about the extraordinarily beautiful couple in the house on the hill. I guess in actuality, we could stay here forever if we wanted to and no one would say anything. As much as they admire us, they fear us as well. But I know Damon is getting restless. He's a wanderer, a nomad of sorts. Being in one place for too long makes him edgy. _

_ We don't talk about that night the guys disappeared. Ever. Stefan says things happened in the cove that put him in a bad place. I remember falling into Damon's arms, and then nothing. I blacked out. I could feel him kissing me, caressing me, talking to me in Italian even though I had no clue what he was saying. But he won't talk about it with me. Maybe I can get Elena to talk to Stefan. Hell, maybe she'd get more out of _Damon_._

I put the diary down as I heard Damon approaching. He took my hair in his hand and moved it off one shoulder so he could kiss me there. "You didn't have to stop writing on my account, _cara_. I would've been content to just sit here and watch you."

I smiled for what felt like the first time in years. "I know, baby. But I would much rather cuddle with you." I looked over my shoulder at him and stood as he caught me in a searing kiss. "Mmm, that will never get old."

He chuckled against my temple. "Neither will we."

I smacked him playfully on the chest and turned to walk away from him. "Ha ha," I mumbled sarcastically. I caught his hand and walked us over to the bed. My leg automatically went under me and reminded me of when I was in high school all over again, having slumber parties with the girls. "Do you miss it?"

His eyebrows came together in confusion as he sat across from me. "Miss what?"

"Florence. Your life. All of it."

He chuckled again and pulled me so I was sitting across his lap. "_Cara_, when will you truly understand that my life didn't _begin_ until I knew you loved me?"

"Yeah right."

Damon rolled his eyes at me and lay me down on top of him as he rested back against the pillows. "Sweet, naive Bonnie." He swept his fingers through my hair and looked deep into my eyes. At times like these I was sure he could see my very soul, and I had no problem with that whatsoever. I loved him more than I ever though possible. But I knew that there had been others before me.

"Yes, there were others, but I have loved only you."

_Did I say that out loud?_

_No, _came his silent reply. He smiled up at me. _You forget how attuned we are to each other sometimes, I think. No one knows you quite like I do._

I had to smile at that thought. He was right. Not even Elena and Meredith, whom I had known as long as I could remember knew me like Damon did. In essence, marriage was supposed to be that way. Then again, there were probably no other marriages as unconventional as ours.

Damon chuckled again, pulling me level with his face so I could kiss him. "Mrs. Salvatore, I think we need to feed."

_Feeding…what a horrible ordeal_. Knowing that the only thing to keep you strong had to be taken from a living, breathing, human being disgusted me to my core. I had only _really_ fed twice, and both had been fairly unpleasant situations. "Do we have to?"

Damon smiled and I felt my heart crawl into my throat. I knew he would never cease to elicit that reaction in me. "_Cara_, I know how repulsive you find the act, but trust me. You need it just as much as I do."

"Ok, ok," I said, pushing myself up from his glorious chest. "Let me go put something decent on."

He eyed me as I sashayed to our closet. "I think you look just fine."

I raked my hand over my boy shorts and cami. "Um, and watch you maul some poor teenager for thinking he'd died and gone to Heaven while I drink from his neck? Yeah, I don't think so."

"What?" he asked, shrugging. "I know were it myself in the same situation I would welcome it. I get to have your lips on me before I meet my maker. Sounds like my perfect version of Heaven, _cara_."

His words sparked a question in me and I turned on my heel and sprinted back to the bed. "About that," I started slowly. "What _do_ you think happens to us when we die? I mean, Elena and I were able to communicate fairly well. Do you think _we'll_ be together?"

Damon sighed loudly and threw himself back across the bed. "Not this again, _rossa_. Haven't we discussed this enough?"

_Enough? I hadn't remembered discussing it _ever_._ "No, I don't recall ever having this conversation."

He sat up, rolling his eyes and breathing loudly out of his nose. "Ok, fine. Where do I think we go? That depends on what you did on Earth, I suppose. You? You'll probably go directly to the pearly gates. Me? Probably just the opposite."

I gasped and jumped onto him. "No! That can't be!"

Damon laughed humorlessly. "Bonnie, I've killed for the pure _fun_ of it. Don't you think that kind of knocks me out of God's grace?"

"But…but…" I couldn't get the words out. A world without Damon was not where I wanted to be.

"Shh…," he whispered and put his finger to my lips. "Enough. We don't ever have to think about that, right?" He kissed my cheek, then my forehead, and into my hair. "We'll just never die. That way we won't ever have to be apart ever again."

"Sounds like a plan," I said breathlessly.

Feeding was going to have to wait.

_**Damon**_

The time was coming when I knew I would have to answer questions. _What happened in the cove? Who had you there? How did you get there? How did you get _out?

Neither of us wanted to answer them, though I knew they all deserved to know. Six months…we really couldn't put it off any longer.

I approached Stefan's door quietly, knowing he could hear me anyway. They were living in Hollywood, and although I could see the attraction for _single_ people, my brother was obviously _not_, so it baffled me as to why they chose a house here. Elena had said something about the view of the famous "Hollywood sign" had driven her to make the decision. _Whatever._

The door opened with a soft creak, and Stefan nodded at me. That was his way of ushering me inside, I supposed. _Y'know, it does nothing for your sex appeal, brother. I don't find you attractive in the least._

Stefan smirked at me. _Elena's asleep. I heard your thoughts from miles away._

_ So you know why I'm here then?_

Stefan nodded again. _You want to know how much, or how little to tell Bonnie._

It was my turn to nod. _Oh yeah, I make that look _good.

Stefan rolled his eyes and turned away from me, walking into the den. _Don't kid yourself. _Damn, even his thoughts came off smug.

I walked behind him and stopped when he reached the opposite end of the room. _So?_

_ So what? I still say we keep our mouths shut and tell them nothing._

I had to shake my head. _That's not gonna work. You _know_ my wife._

_ And you know mine. Elena will listen to whatever I tell her. She knows not to push for answers she really doesn't want._

I could feel my eyebrows hit my hairline. _Oh really? Ha! I find that a little hard to believe. Miss 'determined-as-hell-to-get-Stefan-Salvatore'? She's just as stubborn as Bonnie. Maybe even more so. I can't keep something like this from her, and you know it._

Stefan sat on the arm of the couch and put his head in his hands. "I know," he said quietly. "I also know the vile, disgusting thoughts going through Cindy's head, which I can only _assume_ mirrored Angelo's thoughts." He was quiet again for a moment, assessing my expression. "You heard them, too."

I nodded slowly. "Of course I did. I also know Angelo's not dead."

Stefan's body stiffened. "He's what? How do you know this?"

I chuckled low. "He called to me a few nights ago. Bonnie was sleeping soundly, and I heard him as clear as if he was standing right next to me. So I went to see him on the beach. He told me he would stay clear of this side of the country, but had no intention of staying away permanently. Once we leave, California's 'free again', as he put it."

Stefan stood and walked over to the French doors leading out to the balcony. "What do you make of that?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? Who cares? So long as my family is safe, he could drain the entire West coast and I wouldn't bat an eyelash."

Stefan turned to look at me then, and I could swear his eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. "Of course Damon Salvatore would only think of himself."

"Be realistic, brother," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Would you really care if he sought out the entire freshman class at the local university? Or are you out to protect your bride?"

I had a point, and he knew it. "Here's what _you_ don't understand, _brother_," he said disdainfully. "My _family_ is more than just myself and my wife. I have a responsibility to protect those around me…even you."

My eyes shot to meet his gaze and I saw something there I hadn't seen from him in almost a lifetime. Compassion covered his expression and I had to look away. _Being with Bonnie has totally made me soft, _I groaned internally. "Ok, fine," I sighed in resignation, "what's the plan?"

"Nothing," he said and shrugged as he turned away from me again. "So long as we are all safe, we stay out of it. But we keep our eyes and ears open. If any of us hears anything, we tell the group. Agreed?"

I nodded as a thought occurred to me. "Out of curiosity, brother, what do you intend to do with your wife?"

Stefan's brows furrowed as he turned to look me up and down. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

I started to walk slowly around him until we were standing next to each other overlooking the cityscape below. "Well, Bonnie and I are together for eternity. You already went that route, remember?"

I saw him stiffen beside me and he cleared his throat. "What's your point?"

"You do know that you can't Change her again, right? It's too risky."

"Damon, really, what does this have to do with our conversation?" His fists clenched and I knew I had to get to my point quickly.

"I think we should take a trip. Maybe go see the elders in Florence. Wouldn't you want to know what happens in the end?"

I turned to face him just as his eyes narrowed. "That's not the only reason you want to leave." It was not a question.

"No."

"Then? Why else would you want to go?" Realization hit him then and he smirked. "You want to know what's next for _Bonnie_." I didn't speak, and he took it as confirmation. "There's no shame in that, Damon. You want to protect your wife as much as I want to protect mine. But I think she has more of a chance than…" He trailed off, obviously not wanting to finish his statement.

We heard footsteps approaching and decided to table this conversation until we were again alone. Elena rounded the corner, clutching the sides of her robe and pulling them tightly around her as the wind picked up. "What are you two doing out here?"

"Damon was just leaving," Stefan whispered as he looked into her eyes. Elena looked over at me and I nodded.

"Wait," she said as I walked past her. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine. Why would you ask that?" I tried to keep my face as normal as possible, but I knew from past experience that the only person who could read me as well as my wife was standing in front of me.

"It's three o'clock in the morning, Damon. Not exactly a normal hour for a social visit." Elena put her hands on her hips and waited for me to speak. When I shrugged she threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "Fine," she said as she turned away from me. "But one of you _will_ tell me what's going on, and why the reason for such secrecy."

Stefan remained quiet as well, and I walked to the front door, Stefan closely on my heels. "Remember," he whispered low and directly to me. "Not a word of this to anyone. No one needs a re-hashing of the night in the cove."

If only he knew how powerful my wife was when she wanted something.

_**Bonnie**_

I heard Damon's Ferrari as it pulled into the driveway from where I was on our balcony. The week had gone by quickly, and today was decision day. If we were going to stay in this house, we needed to come up with a game plan. Our neighbors were starting to pick up on things again. Like the fact that we never went to work, but we could afford this house and everything in it. Still, no one said anything to either of us, but I could hear the questions in their minds.

Damon sauntered into the bedroom, as only he could, with two dozen long-stemmed red roses. "_Mia moglie bellissima_," he purred as he embraced me from behind. The roses came around me and shone in the sunlight. When I didn't turn, he stiffened and brought his face around to where he could see me. "_Cara_? What's wrong?"

"I need to know, Damon."

I felt his forehead hit my shoulder and he sighed. "Of course you do." He walked around me and my eyes followed him into the sitting area of our room. "What did Stefan tell you?"

My expression must've clued him in; I had no idea what he was talking about. "What do you mean, what did Stefan tell me?"

His eyes went wide for a split second before he recovered. "You mean that wasn't his car I saw leaving here?"

Now it was my turn to be wide-eyed. "Car? What car?"

In an instant Damon was off the loveseat, down the stairs, and out the front door. I saw him shift into his crow form, something I had never witnessed before, and fly off into the distance. My feet finally caught up to my brain and I called out to Stefan with my mind as I reached for my phone. Elena answered on the first ring. "Bonnie, what's wrong?"

"Elena, where's Stefan?"

"He just left. He's on his way to you right now." Her voice was shaky.

"Did he take the car?"

"No."

"Good. Get in the car, drive slowly and carefully, and meet us at my house. Take your time and be careful. Everything's fine. But I have a feeling…a very bad feeling, and I don't want you to be alone right now. Ok?" I had to calm her before she got in the car. The last time she was frazzled and got near a car…

She took a deep breath and I could picture her putting her hand over her eyes in an attempt to slow her breathing. "Bonnie, I'm scared."

I was, too, but I couldn't let her know that. "I know. But you know that those husbands of ours would never let anything happen to us. Just trust that they know what they're doing." _Who am I trying to convince here?_

I hung up with her and decided to try another approach.

I was going to Trance.

_**Damon**_

_Dammit!_

How did I not know that Angelo was near? How could I have missed that?

I flew through trees at a rocket's speed, zeroing in on the car below that had left my house just before my arrival. As far as I was away from Bonnie, I could hear her conversation with Elena clearly.

_"Bonnie, what's wrong?"_

_ "Elena, where's Stefan?"_

_ "He just left. He's on his way to you right now." _

_ "Did he take the car?"_

_ "No."_

_ "Good. Get in the car, drive slowly and carefully, and meet us at my house. Take your time and be careful. Everything's fine. But I have a feeling…a very bad feeling, and I don't want you to be alone right now. Ok?" _Bonnie was trying to calm her, thoughts of the last time Elena had been in a vehicle in this state flooded her mind.

Elena took a deep breath_. "Bonnie, I'm scared."_

I could feel Bonnie's fear as well, and I willed her not to clue Elena in._ "I know. But you know that those husbands of ours would never let anything happen to us. Just trust that they know what they're doing."_ I had to applaud my wife internally. She was doing a great job.

And then the one thought I knew would come up, but I had hoped desperately would not.

Bonnie was going to Trance.

Alone.

I stopped mid-flight and warred with myself as to what to do next. Did I go after the car that I knew held my oldest enemy? Did I race home to stop my wife from inviting more forces to us?

My mind was set before I realized it, and I found myself propelling back to stop my wife from making things infinitely worse.

I got there at the same time as Stefan and we passed each other a look before walking into a dark house with candles illuminating every corner. In the middle of the living room, my bride lay very still, sprawled across the carpet. I ran to her side and picked her up as I heard her take a deep breath and then scream before she fell limp in my arms. Her eyes popped open and she whispered, "Elena".

_**Elena**_

Hard as I tried, I could not get the feeling of dread to calm. Bonnie was scared. As much as she tried to hide it, something was going on. Something bigger than either of us realized, and I had the distinct feeling I was headed right into it.

I stopped at a light and started to roll up my windows when the biggest hawk I had ever seen caught my attention from across the street. It was headed up into the hills and I could've sworn it said my name.

I shook my head; obviously the lack of sleep was catching up to me. But I heard it a second time, and it was distinctly my name.

_"Elena…"_

I turned the car in the direction the bird had flown in and sped after it, running red lights left and right. I had no idea why, but I knew I had to follow this bird. I could hear Stefan's voice now. _Where do you think you're going? Following a bird, Elena? Really?_ But I knew this bird was important to me somehow.

I turned the car onto a private road that led up to the biggest house I think I had ever seen. It was bigger than Damon & Bonnie's, if that was even possible. The hawk stopped at the front porch, and as I drove around to stop, I could see the front door was open. I walked up to the door and knocked softly on the frame. "Hello? Is anyone home?" I called inside, peeking my head around to peer inside.

I could hear soft music coming from the back of the house and I followed it. Smells of what had to be Italian food wafted in from the kitchen and I found myself sidetracked. My nose led me to the massive kitchen, decorated in the richest blues and greens, pots hanging from the grid above the stove. A small woman was hovered over the stove, whistling to whatever song was in her head, and stirring a huge pot. She didn't turn as she spoke. "Welcome, Elena."

I jumped at the sound of my name from her lips, in perfect English, but with the thickest Italian accent. She still hadn't turned to look at me, which was curious in itself. But the fact that she knew my name was even more confusing.

She laughed lightly but still did not turn. "You're wondering how I know you."

"Uh…yeah," I stammered. "And I'm wondering-"

"Who I am. I know." Finally she turned and I was met with a face I knew well.

"You…look just like…"

The woman smiled. "They're my sons."

_**Yeah, I know you hate cliffys…I do too. **_

_**But I promise to update quicker next time. I think things are starting to slow down a little for me. *Knocking on wood***_


	26. Chapter 26

_**So here it is…another chapter. :)**_

_**I had fully intended to stop after 25, but it really just keeps writing itself. Like I have no idea where I'm going until I get there. Crazy huh? **_

_**And I have had very little time to write…as you can see. I'm trying to "get with the program", really, but RL keeps me so very busy…And problems with my computer are not helping much…**_

_**Oh, and before I forget, I've been trying to find the boys' mother's name, but came up with nothing. So if you got it, get it to me and I can change it. Cool?**_

**26**

_**Elena**_

"I…I'm sorry. What did you just say?"

My ears took it in but there was no way I could register what she just said. "I said, they are my sons." She spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child. _Or an idiot…_

"No, I heard you. I just…how is that possible?" I walked slowly over to the barstool that was just within reach. "I always thought you died in childbirth?"

She smiled. "What if I told you you were dreaming? Would you believe me?"

I shook my head quickly and forced my eyes to stay glued to her. "I don't think so. I was driving and I followed-"

Immediately I thought of the hawk and jumped off the stool. "Oh my gosh, did you see it? The giant hawk! I followed it here!"

The woman watched me as I jumped up and down excitedly and then smiled as I realized how stupid I looked. "I'm sorry. I just felt like it was so important for me to follow it and now…"

She walked over to me and placed her hand over mine on the counter. Her hand was warm, and she smelled like fresh roses. "My name is Elisabetta Salvatore." _Even her _name_ was beautiful and it rolled off her tongue perfectly_. "You are Stefan's bride, yes?"

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on her. "Yes. Damon married my best friend, Bonnie."

Elisabetta's eyes widened and then she looked down at our hands. "Yes, I know. She's a firecracker, that one, eh?" She looked back up at me and smiled again. "You come here to ask something of me."

I cocked my head to one side as my eyebrows came together in confusion. "I did?"

Elisabetta nodded slowly, smiling brightly. "You are…puzzled as to how to ask me."

I had no clue what she was talking about, and I was sure she could tell. "Elisabetta," I started and she held up the hand that was not holding mine to stop me.

"You have married my son. You are no stranger to me. Please, call me Mama. All of my children do."

_All?_ My eyebrows creased again and I had to ask. "All? I thought there were only the two?"

Elisabetta smiled again. "When Damon was very little, all of his little friends would be at our home. Stefan was just a baby then, and he would make noises in his…_piccolo letto_…" I could tell she was searching for the words to translate what she had said, and her hands were circling over each other. I was no help at all, and unfortunately all I could do was shrug and shake my head. "It's the little thing you put your babies in."

"Oh! The crib!"

Elisabetta let out a soft sigh. "Yes, that is it. I would watch them, and when Damon's friends would point to my pictures, he would always say, _è il mio Mama. _ She is my Mama. They would ask my name and he would say, 'Mama'." She laughed and her eyes lit up at the memory. "So, as the years went by, when his friends would come, they would pass my picture where it hung and put a kiss on it, telling me, 'Hello Mama'. I would think you have more right to call me Mama than they did."

I couldn't help but smile, even though I knew there was really no way I could be sitting here talking to my mother-in-law when my _husband_ was over five centuries old. And then a thought occurred to me. "Am…am I dead?"

Elisabetta glanced around quickly, and the gesture looked oddly familiar. "We don't have much time. I need you to tell my boys something. _La chiave alla sua distruzione dentro presso voi._" Almost immediately my head began to hurt, like someone was squeezing my brain from inside my head, and my vision started to go black.

"Wait! Elisabetta! Mama!" I tried to reach out for her but grasped only air, and then I hit the steering wheel, the sounds of horns honking behind me ringing in my ears.

I shook my head and looked around me as I realized I was still in my car, at the same stoplight where I had seen the hawk, but the bird was gone. I gunned the car and headed straight toward Bonnie and Damon's.

_**Damon**_

_Stefan is about to burn a hole in my carpet, and I am about to rip his feet off if he doesn't stop pacing_.

Bonnie looked up at me, obviously having heard my thoughts, and gave me what was supposed to be a stern look. It just looked like a kitten trying to scold a lion, and I had to resist the urge to laugh. She noticed and rolled her eyes at me.

"I just don't understand why I can't hear her thoughts," Stefan shouted from where he had finally stopped pacing. "I can _always_ hear her thoughts."

Bonnie gasped and jumped up. "She's here," she whispered and hit the door at the same time Elena did. She gathered Elena into her arms and began to stroke her hair. "Are you ok? You had us scared to death."

I scoffed at the comment and everyone turned to me. _To death Bonnie?_ I shot at her and she narrowed her eyes at me.

_You know what I mean. Don't be a jerk right now._ "Elena," Bonnie said pulling her back to look at her. "You're shaking like a leaf. What happened to you?"

Elena's eyes looked far away and when she caught my gaze she couldn't blink. "I saw…"

"What? What did you see, honey? Tell us," Bonnie chirped and I had the strangest urge to throw my hand over my wife's mouth.

"_Cara,_ she was about to say it when you interrupted her." I was trying not to anger my bride, but she gave me a look that told me I had done just that and I had to shrug.

Elena looked lost for a moment, blinked, and then looked directly at me. "I saw your mother."

Three things happened simultaneously. Stefan and I both growled deep in our chests and took a fighting stance, looking around the room as if there were a predator preparing to strike. Bonnie gasped and jumped up in front of me, and Elena broke down in tears. Stefan spoke first, his thoughts conveying nothing more than pure curiosity. He had never met our mother, as she died in childbirth… bearing _him_. I blamed his existence for her death on a daily basis, and it wasn't until very recently that I had learned to hide that, and put it aside to face our enemies as a united front. And lately, it would seem that we had enemies "coming out of the woodwork", as Bonnie put it.

Stefan walked to where Bonnie had placed Elena on the couch and took his wife's face in his hands, handling her like a fragile doll. "_Amore_, you need to tell me what you mean by that."

Elena's eyes sought me out, once again, and her tears began to flow more freely. "I was sitting in my car at a stoplight…" She stopped and gave us all a sheepish look. "I was following a hawk."

"A hawk?" I shouted in exasperation. "What the hell were you following a hawk for? And what does that have to do with my mother?"

Bonnie placed her hands on my chest to slow my breathing. Clearly, I had not been prepared to hear that my new sister-in-law had encountered the only woman I had ever loved…until Bonnie. I looked down into Bonnie's eyes and my hands went to the back of her head, burying themselves in her curls and pulling her forehead to my lips. _Cara, I'm sorry. I'm trying._

_ I know,_ she thought simply. _Just give her a chance to explain._

Elena was sobbing loudly now and I noticed Stefan had not spoken again. His thoughts were jumbled, and as soon as he had one thought, another replaced it. "Elena," he whispered as he walked to the French doors. "Please…"

She nodded slowly and began to speak in a whisper. "I followed the hawk to a house, and when I stopped at the front door, it was open. I peeked my head in smelled some food being cooked in the kitchen. When I approached her, she turned." She stopped and looked at the both of us. "You both resemble her quite a bit."

I wanted to smile but couldn't. The anger at her passing was still fresh after all these years. I couldn't look at Stefan, for fear that I would snap at him again. So instead, I looked back at Elena. "Did she look well?"

Elena smiled. "She looked beautiful. You both have her smile."

Bonnie wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me closer to her. "Go on," she said softly.

"She told me how she would watch over you when you were little, and how Damon's friends would call her 'Mama', so she told me to call her that as well. She told me I had more right than they did, with being Stefan's wife and all…" She chuckled, more to herself than anything. Her thoughts radiated pride at finally feeling like she belonged to a family again. She was dead to her own.

Elena stood and walked over to where Stefan stood, still not facing the group. He turned when he felt her hand on his arm and pulled her into his embrace. "Oh!" Elena jumped slightly and turned to us. "She said one more thing, but it was in Italian, and I have no idea what it meant."

Stefan hid his disappointment before she could look back at his face. "Do you think you could try to remember?"

Bonnie let go of me and walked over to her. "I think that's where I come in." She was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning, and reached out to take Elena's hands. "I saw it. When I finally was able to see my vision clearly, Elisabetta spoke."

Both Stefan and I tensed at her name, and Bonnie looked back at the both of us. "She saw her. And I saw her in Elena's thoughts just now, so I know what I saw in my vision was correct. I caught only certain words, though, so I hope you guys can make sense of it."

Stefan looked as though he was ready for a fight, and I'm sure I did as well. I tried to relax and slow my breathing, as it had picked up at the mention of my mother's name. "What were the words, _cara_?"

Bonnie closed her eyes and began to recount the conversation she had heard. "Um…I heard_ chiave, distruzione, _and_ dentro_. Anybody make heads or tails of that?" She opened her eyes and looked at all of us.

"_Chiave_ means key. _Distruzione_ is destruction. And _dentro_ means inside. But I'm not sure I know what they all have to do with each other." Stefan was still on a high hearing about our mother's impromptu visit.

I knew exactly what she meant. "She said, 'The key to destruction lies within', translated loosely." I said from where I stood in the doorway. "What I don't know is who she was referring to."

Bonnie's eyes widened. Stefan's breathing came to an abrupt stop. "Did she mean…me?" Elena asked shyly. "Was she talking about me?"

Stefan was at her side in an instant. "Why would you think that?"

"Because," she said between hiccups, "she kept telling me that I had something to ask her, but I didn't know _how_ to ask."

Their immortality, both hers and Bonnie's.

It had been a question on all our minds as of late. Particularly with Alaric and Meredith's baby coming soon. No one knew if Elena could conceive. Bonnie's body would never grow again, and therefore couldn't carry a living baby. With Bonnie's heritage, now combined with her vampire state, what would that mean for her future? All questions with no answers. And the ones they affected most were Elena and Bonnie.

"I don't know," Stefan said, walking over to the window. "I know she used you for a reason. Why she didn't use Bonnie to speak to us, or speak to us directly, we may never know."

Bonnie stood in front of me, very still and quiet. "Damon…"

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell limp. I caught her just before she hit the floor. _Strangely reminiscent of our meeting in the clearing…_

I closed my eyes, holding her, attempting to read her thoughts. We'd gotten so much better at this over the last few months that I knew I could do it; it was just a matter of her subconscious letting me in at this point. "_Cara_?" I whispered as I touched my cheek to her temple. "You need to let me in."

She started writhing beneath me, almost as if she was struggling to get free. Her eyes popped open and she looked at me. "Did you hear that?" she hissed.

I looked around with my eyes. "Hear what?"

She pushed lightly on my chest and I helped her stand. The rest of the group stood waiting for her to say something and she put her finger up telling us to be quiet and tiptoed about the room, walking slowly into the foyer and stopping abruptly. "We're not alone." She turned to face us as we stood watching her. "Someone's been using all of this against us."

Stefan's eyebrows bunched together and he looked around the room as well. "I feel something, too. It's very heavy, like a dark cloud."

Meredith started to whimper, her hands instinctively going to her swollen belly. I glanced at her and when I turned back to my bride her eyes were wide as her gaze landed on Elena. "It's _you_."

Elena looked around at all of us and began to tremble. "What do you mean, it's me?"

Bonnie walked over to Elena and placed her hands on the girl's arms. Her grip was firm, but not too tight, knowing she had the strength to break Elena into pieces. "Whatever this _thing_ is, it's using _you_. Elisabetta used you for a specific reason. This thing has the weakest one targeted. And that one, right now, is you."

Elena's eyes were huge as she listened to Bonnie's words. "But why me? Meredith's human!" she shrieked.

Bonnie's eyes closed and she lay her head back for a moment. She took a deep breath and then picked her head back up. "Because you've been to the other side," she said, but in a voice not her own.

My mother was speaking through my wife.

_**Bonnie**_

I could feel the change in the atmosphere almost instantly. From the moment I stood, every hair on my body was standing on end. "We're not alone." I turned to face the group as they watched me. "Someone's been using all of this against us."

Stefan caught on immediately, and he began to look around the room, shivering slightly. "I feel something, too. It's very heavy, like a dark cloud."

I could feel the tension rolling off Meredith and she placed her hands on where Jessa was moving in her womb. I saw Damon glance at her and he turned back to me as my gaze set on Elena. "It's _you_."

Elena looked around the circle of us and started shaking slightly. "What do you mean, it's me?"

I walked over to Elena and took her arms in my hands, careful not to grip too tightly. "Whatever this _thing_ is, it's using _you_. Elisabetta used you for a specific reason. This thing has the weakest one targeted. And that one, right now, is you."

Elena's eyes were as huge as saucers as she listened to me. "But why _me_? Meredith's _human_!" she shrieked.

I closed my eyes and instantaneously felt…weird. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. And that's when I knew what was happening. When my head came back up, not realizing it had gone back in the first place, I felt drained. "Because you've been to the other side," I said, but it wasn't my voice.

Elisabetta Salvatore was speaking thorough me.

This had only happened once before, when Honoria Fell was helping us fight off the evil we had faced in Fell's Church. We knew now that Katherine and Klaus had ultimately been to blame for everything that had taken place, but I knew that if Damon and Stefan's mother had come to warn us of something, it was probably twice as strong as Katherine and Klaus had been. And I wasn't sure we'd be able to fight whatever it was.

I felt my body walk over to Damon, and my hands went to cradle his face. "_Mio figlio_," she said through me. _Yup, this has got to be the weirdest thing ever to happen to me._

Damon's expression toggled from elated to confused to in awe, and ran the gambit at least three more times before he spoke. "Mama?"

I nodded, my body no longer my own, and embraced Damon tightly. "_Non ho mai pensato vorrei vedere di nuovo,_" he whispered softly.

Of course, he thought he would never see her again! _Wait, how did I know what he said?_ I tried to shake my head clear, but it wasn't my head at the moment. "_Ho bisogno di parlare in fretta_," she said, and I could feel the reason why she had to speak quickly. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife, and it kept getting thicker.

Elisabetta turned my body toward Stefan and taking Damon by the hand, walked me over to stand in front of him. "_Tu sei fratelli, e non si comportano come essa. Devi venire insieme a lottare. La forza è dentro di voi due. Deve essere fermato_."

I felt Damon stiffen, and I attempted to reach him mentally. _Damon, what is she saying?_

His eyes snapped to mine, and I knew he heard me. _She says we need to behave like brothers and come together and fight._ He looked down at his feet then, a combination of anger, pride, and embarrassment at being scolded by his mother through his wife.

Stefan cleared his throat and smiled, pulling me into a warm embrace in an attempt to get close to his mother. It dawned on me then that he never got to know her, and I wished I could do something to make it more real for him. I made a mental note to pursue that a little later.

When he released me, I felt like Elisabetta was physically being pulled out of me and the harder I tried to hold on to her for the boys' sake, no amount of strength I had would do it.

When I opened my eyes, again not realizing they had closed, I was locked inside a cocoon of Damon's and Stefan's arms. Both boys were holding on for dear life, trying their hardest not to cry, but still sniffling. "She's gone," I whispered, and felt Damon's grip loosen instantly. He cleared his throat and walked to the other side of the room, not looking at anyone, and attempting to regain his composure.

Meredith stood stock still, only her eyes moving, her hands still holding her belly. "So…what now?" She said softly, trying her hardest not to ruin the moment for the brothers, but still needing to know what was happening.

Stefan looked up, and you could tell he'd been crying. "It's Angelo. It's gotta be."

The group turned to look at me, then at Stefan, and realizing where he was looking, fell lastly on Damon. He had turned to face us and simply shrugged. "He's alive and well, living out on the East coast. At least that's where he was when he contacted me last."

I felt the anger boiling inside me and it took all I had not to run to him and slap that smirk off of his face. The one person he wanted to protect more than himself, and he had kept this from me. _How in the hell do you know that? And why am I just finding this out now?_ I screamed at him mentally.

His expression softened when his eyes met mine. _Cara, please. I just wanted to protect you._

_ By leaving me vulnerable? This is knowledge you should've shared with me!_

_ I know._ Even his thoughts took on a defeated tone. _I'm sorry. Truly, I am. I didn't know how else to protect you other than to just keep it to myself._

My shock took over at that point. "You don't trust me," I stated plainly.

Damon's eyes widened in disbelief. "Of course I trust you, _cara._ Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because you _knew_. You've known all along and didn't tell me." He moved to touch me and I pulled away. "Don't," I said, walking away and heading upstairs.

I heard him calling me, but he was wise and left me alone. I closed my bedroom door behind me and sat on the bed, crying until there was nothing left.

_**Damon**_

What the hell just happened?

All at once my world was righted and then blown all to hell simultaneously. My mother, the only woman I had ever loved until Bonnie, spoke to us. And she chose my bride to touch me, caress my cheek, and make me feel like everything was going to be alright. This hell that I had lived for over five hundred years made sense in that one moment. And then, as if someone had flipped a light switch, it had all come tumbling down.

And yet again, my _brother_ was to blame.

I stood staring at the empty space Bonnie had just occupied and blinked like mad trying to control the anger I felt. No, it wasn't _really_ Stefan's fault, but hell, who else could I blame?

_Yourself, blame yourself_, came that infernal inner voice. Who knew a merciless killer like myself could find his conscience again? I lifted my chin and recognized the action as something the arrogant Damon Salvatore would have done in his youth. I was not that man anymore. I was a centuries old vampire, a murderer, a philanderer…who desperately wanted to make things right with the beautiful, fiery redhead sitting and crying upstairs that had completely stolen his heart.

"I'll go-" Elena started, but I held my hand to stop her.

"No", I said and cleared my throat. "She's right. I should've told her. I'll go fix this."

All eyes were on me as I walked to what could either be my salvation or my execution. Whatever Bonnie decided I would have to abide by. If she needed time, I could give her that. How many nights had I watched her from afar before we had gotten together? But if she needed me there, I would be whatever she needed me to be for her. I loved her that much.

I counted the stairs as I climbed them, listening intently for some clue as to what I would find when I opened the door. _Come in, Damon_, she said mentally before I reached for the knob.

Bonnie lay curled up on her side of the bed, not facing me, but I could tell she was still crying and very much upset. "Why?" she asked softly.

I didn't have to ask what she meant. "I kept it from you because we were all so happy. Elena and Stefan had finally married, Alaric and Meredith were having a baby, and you and I…well, we'd never been closer." I moved slowly forward until I stood at the edge of the bed. "_Cara_, you have to believe that I have every faith in you. The Neanderthal in me simply wanted to protect my bride. Even though of the two of us, you would be the one that needs the _least_ amount of protection."

I heard her snicker and then she slowly turned to face me as she sat up. "Damon," she said, patting the bed next to her. I took my seat quickly before she changed her mind. "I have the strongest feeling your mother made contact because this thing is bigger than us. Whatever is coming, I have a feeling it's bigger than _anything_ we've ever faced."

I nodded. "I agree," I said as I pulled her into my side. "And I have to tell you that whatever went on down there was positively surreal."

I could feel her smile against my chest. "I know. It was like I could feel everything she felt but I was still _me_. I knew what was going on. It wasn't like I was in a fog or anything. I don't remember anything Honoria Fell said, but this…this I remember. And I could _understand_ her!" She was excited now, and she pulled away, getting on her knees and putting her hands on her thighs as she faced me. "I knew exactly what she said when she spoke to you the first time."

"But you asked me what she meant?'

"Yeah, cause I only caught half of that sentence. I was too excited about understanding Italian!" She giggled, and the sound was music to my ears. I went to embrace her and she stopped me with her hand. "Don't think you're off the hook, Salvatore. I'm still upset that you didn't tell me you knew about Angelo, even if I _do_ understand why you kept it from me."

_Damn._

Bonnie smirked at me. "Well, then I guess there's only one thing left to do."

My brows came together in confusion. "What's that?"

"Train for a battle."

_**Try not to hate me, m'kay? I swear I'm trying to update faster. This chapter has actually been finished for a couple of weeks, but it needed 'tweaking'. Let me know what you think?**_


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N at the end…**_

_**27**_

_**Damon**_

Over the next three months, all we did was train.

Train the others how to fight, train Stefan how to tap into Bonnie's mind more clearly… train, train, train.

It was exhausting.

So the night Meredith gave birth to her daughter, we all breathed a sigh of relief at the break for the evening.

One of the perks of being a vampire was that we could leave _from_ anywhere and _be _anywhere at a moment's notice. And the moment we got the call that Alaric was taking Meredith to the hospital, we … _flew out._ I had to chuckle at the double meaning in the statement.

Elena held her first, and Jessa reached her pudgy little hand up to grasp her pinky finger. The tears in her eyes were full of emotion at this tiny creature that had just entered our circle. Try as I might, I couldn't look away from her either.

And then it was Bonnie's turn to hold her. My wife…there were no words. She was positively glowing; her eyes shone with every feeling known to new mothers. _Mother, something she would never be_. _Because of me._ I had to turn away then. If I continued to gaze at her, holding this tiny new life, I would burst into flames out of pure disappointment in myself.

Yes, she had wanted me as well. But my selfishness in making her my bride brought my past into the present. Because of my interaction with Francesca, when we should've been enjoying the newlywed life, Bonnie was changing into something unnatural. Someone that could kill a man with her bare hands, but would never know the most feminine sensations of feeling her offspring grow in her belly. She would never know what it was like to curl our newborn daughter's hair for her first picture. Or teach our young son to ride a skateboard, or kiss our children good night after a long day of playing in the woods around our home. All these things I had taken away from her, and in that realization, I walked out of the room and into the hallway. I stared out the window, lost in my thoughts until someone cleared their throat next to me.

"You see the same things I do."

Stefan stood still, hands in his pockets, also in deep thought. But where we were both thinking of our wives, our situations differed. We didn't know what Elena would give birth to when the time came, but at least she could _conceive._ Bonnie and I would never be parents to our own children, and while I knew that she _said_ she was ok with it, I knew her heart wasn't. I had heard her longing for a child many nights while she slept uneasily. As it was, no one knew the changes going on in her body, and the Elders had been very little help with any information anyway. Everything was conflicted. All of the information we had collected seemed to be the exact opposite of the pieces of information we had received just prior. It was frustrating.

"It didn't seem to matter to her too much before. But when we leave here, and the Saltzman family goes back to their little home in the woods, where does that leave us?" I turned to Stefan then, my expression and tone challenging. "At least you have a _chance_. What can I give my bride?"

"You can give me you," Bonnie said from the door to Meredith's room. Stefan slowly turned and went back into the room to be with Elena and the others. Bonnie walked toward me, touching Stefan's arm as he passed her and gave him a shy smile. She placed her hand on my chest, just over my heart and closed her eyes. "This," she whispered, "belongs to me. Just like mine belongs to you. Would I love a baby with you? Absolutely." Her eyes opened and her expression softened slightly as she continued. "But the practice is just as good." She blushed lightly.

"But _cara_, I-"

She placed her hand across my lips and I took a deep breath, her strawberry scent intoxicating every one of my senses. "I love you. I always will. Just because we can't have babies doesn't mean we can't be a family, does it?"

She was right. "_Cara,_" I said as I closed my eyes and just breathed her in. "Understand that whatever you want, it's yours. I can, and could never, deny you anything."

Bonnie smiled as we heard Jessa's cry from the room. "I know," she said as she put her arms around my waist. "Let's get back in there, ok?"

We walked back into the room hand in hand, smiling along with everyone as Jessa cooed and cuddled against her mother's breast. I turned my head to watch my wife as Meredith nursed her daughter, it being a private moment, and stiffened when I heard it.

_Salvatore…_

I looked around the room and either the other vampires in the room hadn't heard it or they were oblivious to the voice calling my name, _our_ name.

_Salvatore…_

It was a mere whisper, almost as light as the wind, but I noticed Stefan straighten up, and then caught Bonnie's eye. _You heard it too? _Her internal voice was shaky.

I nodded slightly and she turned to Elena, who was completely entranced by Jessa. No, she hadn't heard it, and I was sure had she kept any of the powers she had once possessed, she would've felt the presence before any of the rest of us. I walked over to Meredith and she glanced up at me. Her maternal instincts kicked in and she moved Jessa to the side opposite of where I stood. _Ah yes, she still sees me as a predator._ I leaned down slightly to whisper, "Congratulations, Meredith. We have to leave now, but we'll be by again before we go back to Malibu."

She let out a breath and nodded, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Damon. I-"

I shook my head slowly and smiled back at her. "No need. It's what you should've done. You protect your young, like a fierce lioness."

_But I wasn't afraid when _Bonnie_ held her…_

"I know." I turned over my shoulder to look at my bride. "She's like a sister to you," I whispered. "I'm just the sadistic vampire that took her as my lover."

Meredith blushed a deep shade of red at my words. _As if _that_ should embarrass her after having given birth just hours ago in such compromising positions._ She cleared her throat, unsure what to say. "Um.."

I smiled again. "I'm sure Bonnie will be back in the morning."

Meredith giggled. "She'd probably stay all night if she could." I nodded, looking at Bonnie as she watched Alaric gazing at his daughter. "But I have this feeling you all need to take care of something. Am I right?"

_Intuitive as always_, I thought. "We could never fool you, could we?"

She shuddered slightly. "I've always seen you for you, Damon."

I wasn't sure how to take that comment, so I left it alone. She narrowed her eyes at me in confusion before she smiled. _I just meant that I knew how you felt about her before even _you_ did._

I nodded again, smiling stupidly as I thought of the first moment I knew I loved Bonnie. Finally, I stood straight, glancing at my brother and my wife before I strode out of the room. I heard Alaric ask what was going on, and why I left so abruptly. Meredith reassured him that they were safe and there was nothing to worry about. _Yes, _they_ were safe. _That was the only comfort I could take at the moment.

Bonnie was at my side in an instant, and Stefan wasn't too far behind, his annoying little wife yapping away incessantly. I turned on my heel as soon as we were out of public earshot. "Stefan, can you _please_ shut her up for a moment? I can't hear myself think."

Stefan growled low in his throat and I had to catch myself before I growled back and started another war. Bonnie stood in between both of us with her hands on our chests. "Stop it," she commanded. "Not here."

Elena looked to each of us, obviously not understanding what was going on. "Somebody wanna clue me in here?"

Bonnie looked at her, noting the panic starting to show in her eyes. "Elena, we may be in trouble."

_**Bonnie**_

_Salvatore…_

I mentally tried to swat it away like a fly. But then I heard it again and I knew I was right.

Angelo.

By the look on Damon's face I knew he had not only heard it, but he was probably on the same train of thought as I was. Which could only mean one thing.

Tonight we would fight.

At least Meredith and her family were safe. I couldn't have handled it if she had been in the middle of this mess. I found myself extremely thankful for Jessa's arrival tonight.

"Stefan, can you _please_ shut her up for a moment? I can't hear myself think," Damon said sharply as we exited the hospital.

Stefan growled and I knew what would happen if Damon retaliated. I placed myself between both boys with my hands on their chests. "Stop it," I snapped. "Not here."

Elena looked at all of us, totally naive as to what was going on. "Somebody wanna clue me in here?"

I looked at her and noticed the 'deer in the headlights' look. "Elena, we may be in trouble."

She started to tremble. "Is it what I think it is?"

I nodded slowly. "He's here."

We drove quickly to the old boarding house Stefan used to occupy during his days in Fell's Church. _I am so glad Stefan thought to get a car big enough for all of us_. No one spoke. Out of fear? Were we scared?

Damon reached over and took my hand, bringing it to his lips and inhaling deeply and kissing my knuckles. _Cara, we need some alone time. Now._

I felt every inch of my body begin to tingle at his words. "Um, Stefan?"

He turned slightly from the driver's seat. "Yes, Bonnie?"

"I think we need to re-group. With our spouses."

I heard his thoughts echo his brother's and he turned sharply onto the dirt road that led to the boarding house. There were lights lit on the first level, and we could all hear Mrs. Flowers shuffling around inside. We weren't sure if she would be accepting of us this time around.

We crept up to the front door and Stefan tried the knob. Miraculously, it was already open and we could smell the pot of tea brewing. Peppermint, like she always used to make.

Stefan stepped in first, towing Elena behind him. Damon walked in, his hand still holding mine, and looked around the foyer. "Is she still here?"

"Of course I'm here, boy," Mrs. Flowers said from behind us, appearing out of nowhere. "Where else would I be?"

We all jumped at the sound of her voice amongst the eerie quiet. Elena clutched at her chest and both boys had crouched in preparation of a fight. They both stood as she passed us and walked into the parlor. "Tea's in the kitchen. Your room is just as you left it." She turned suddenly and pointed to me and Damon. "And I've made a room up for you on the second floor. Thought you might need it when your friend had her baby. I imagine she's a doll." And with that, she was gone.

We all stared at the spot she had been standing in. "I will never get used to that." Elena said softly.

Damon chuckled and then tugged me up the stairs impatiently. We stopped at what was apparently our room and turned to Stefan and Elena. "We don't have a lot of time."

Stefan nodded in agreement. "He's close."

They ran into their room as Damon pulled me into ours. Once the door was closed, my back was up against it as Damon's lips covered every visible inch of my body, bringing my legs up to wrap around him. Clothes were removed as we kissed feverishly. We took as much time loving each other as we could, but we all were too aware of the looming threat to really take our time and enjoy each other.

Once we had thoroughly sated our hunger for each other, we dressed and went back down to the foyer. Stefan and Elena appeared seconds later and we all gave each other the look that we were all dreading.

We were headed to the clearing.

The irony of the situation and the surroundings finally caught up to me as we drove and I started laughing uncontrollably. My husband looked at me like I had three heads until he caught up to me. His smile was blinding. "Kind of fitting, isn't it? We started here…"

_And we may die here._

He didn't have to finish the thought. We all knew what may happen tonight, though none of us wanted to face it.

Elena spoke softly. "Should I be there? I mean, can I help at all?"

Stefan cleared his throat, his unease threatening to choke him. "I…I can't think of that right now."

Damon snorted from his position next to me. "I think it's a little late for that, brother."

Stefan stiffened and he closed his eyes as he pulled the car to a stop. He turned in his seat to face Elena, and noticing she was shaking, pulled her into his arms. "Shh…_amore_," he began to smooth her hair against her back until she stopped, if only momentarily. "We will be ok."

_But we won't come out unscathed,_ Damon thought from beside me. "We need a plan," I said in my attempt to diffuse the situation. "We have to stay together."

Damon nodded and grabbed my hand, caressing the back as his mental wheels were spinning. "Bonnie's right. If we all go in together that could be very bad."

"It's not like he doesn't know we're all here," Elena whispered against Stefan's shoulder.

"Right," I confirmed. "But he doesn't know what we've learned in the last few months, right?"

Damon turned his head to look at me and his expression was deadly. "You two stay here."

_Was he _trying _to piss me off? _"The hell I will!" I hadn't meant to yell, but he couldn't possibly plan to leave me in here while he…

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he spoke. "_Questa donna realmente sarà la morte di me,_" he said before he opened his eyes again. "Listen to me," he said pulling my face to him between his hands. "You can't know what it's like for me. To have found you, fallen head over heels for you, and risk losing you." His words were a mere whisper, but it was as clear as if he were shouting them in the tiny space. "I knew what would happen after the fight with Francesca. You would awaken like me. I had seen it so many times over the span of my life, but I _cannot_ risk what may happen to you should something…_happen_ out there. Please," he whispered against my temple, and I could hear the trembling in his voice. "Please just stay here until we need you."

My heart was breaking at his words. "I love you. So very much," I whispered back, and I could hear something similar going on in the front seat of the sedan. "Whatever happens, always remember how much I love you."

Damon's head tilted down and he rested his forehead on my chin. "_Non conoscerete mai quanto ti amo. Siete l'aria che respiro. __Siete il mio motivo per vivere._" When he looked up at me, I could see the tears forming in his eyes. "I _will_ come back to you. I promise."

And with that, both he and Stefan opened the doors and fled into the night.

_**I'm trying to update faster. I'm thinking maybe 3 or 4 more chapters and then this is done. We'll see how it goes. Have a happy thanksgiving, if you celebrate it!**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**HAD TO RE-POST. I NOTICED SOME WORDS MISSING, AND IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE WHEN I RE-READ IT. **_

_**Sometimes, holidays can suck. Especially when you get no time in between them to write…**_

_**This chapter is dark, much darker than the rest. If your imagination is anything like mine, you may find some seriously disturbing images. Ye be warned.**_

At any rate…

**28**

_**Bonnie**_

Silence…

It can be your best friend when you need it, and your worst enemy when you don't.

Right now, it sucked.

I tried with everything I had in me to reach Damon with my thoughts. Hell, I'd take _Stefan_ if I could contact him. But I got nothing.

Elena caught my eye from where she sat in the front passenger seat. "Still nothing?"

I shook my head. _How in the hell did Damon expect me to just wait here?_ I knew I was fidgeting uncontrollably and Elena smiled slightly. "What?" I whispered.

She shook her head, smiling and reminiscing. "Do you remember when you didn't think you were going to the homecoming dance, and finally Ray asked you? You were a wreck then, too. Your knee bounced just like that," she said pointing to my knee that looked like it would shake my leg clear off my hip if it didn't stop bouncing soon.

I smiled, reliving the moment for a split-second before I heard the gut-wrenching scream from across the clearing. In an instant I was running, having no recollection of even coming out of the car. When I looked back at the car, or what was left of it, the entire driver's side looked like it had been ripped off and was tossed to the side. Elena sat in the front, mouth gaping open, staring at me as I ran away from her and toward what would surely be my death.

I stopped short and listened, using my finely tuned hearing to decipher which way to turn from there. I could smell the sweat, from myself and my family, I was sure. _Please,_ I reached out one last time before I took off. _Please Damon, if you can hear me, say something._

And then I heard it.

_ Cara…I …love…you_. And then, silence.

_ No….no…no….no…_, was all I could think as I ran toward the thoughts I heard. I stopped when I saw him.

Damon was on the ground, twisted and contorted in what could only be described as the world's most gruesome pretzel, bleeding from every area imaginable. Stefan didn't look much better, tied to a tree across from me, bleeding just as heavily, head slumped forward and his entire body limp. Between them stood my mortal enemy; someone I never thought I'd come face to face with again.

Angelo stood, arms crossed, smiling at me, dressed all in white and glaring at me.

_ No…_ I thought again. _I __got rid of him__!_

_ Guess again, bella._ Angelo was reading my thoughts. But that was saved for my husband, who was now laying on the ground, dying.

"Get out of my head, you bastard," I growled as calmly as I could manage.

"Now, Bonnie...," he said as he stepped toward me, "is that any way to treat an old friend?"

I huffed under my breath. "You're no friend of mine." I crossed my arms in front of me, and looked away from him. _Damon would be so proud of me._

_ Damon..._

I looked away from him again, but couldn't bring myself to look at Damon or Stefan, both so still and helpless. "So I assume you know why I'm here then." Angelo said, finally gauging my attention again.

"You know what they say about assumptions, right Angelo?"

He chuckled lightly and stroked his chin. "Such a firecracker, this one. I see now why Salvatore coveted you so."

I chanced a glance at my husband, and when he didn't move, I looked back at Angelo. "So what realm of hell did you come from?" I nodded my head at him with my chin.

Angelo glanced at Damon before looking back at me. "You needn't worry about me, _cara_. We have much bigger things to discuss."

This time my growl resonated throughout the forest. "Do. Not. Ever. Call. Me. That. Again." I made sure I enunciated and pointed out every word.

Angelo chuckled again. "My apologies, _Mrs._ Salvatore." The way he emphasized my title made me want to puke. "I meant no disrespect."

"You meant no _respect_ either," I glared at him, daring him to speak another word. "Let's get this over with, Esposito. I don't have all night."

Angelo's eyebrows rose. "You remembered my surname? I am impressed, _bella_. I must surely have made a greater impression than I realized."

I rolled my eyes at him.

I walked over and stood toe to toe with him. "Tell me what it is you want."

Angelo leaned his head back and let out a guttural laugh. "You silly, silly girl." He ran his fingers through my hair and I felt weak all of a sudden. His breath washed over me and I felt my knees give out from under me.

Before the sleep took me under, I heard five words that resonated throughout my head. "All I want is you."

. . . . . . .

_**Damon**_

__I _smelled _him before I actually saw him.

Angelo stood across the clearing from me and my brother, smiling at us. I looked over at Stefan and nodded. This was it.

We started a slow waltz with the demon across from us, all the while trying to read his mind, and getting nothing. _What the hell are you doing here?_ I knew he was reading _our_ minds, just not letting us in.

He shook his head slowly. "Now, Salvatore, you know what I want. I came to collect."

Both Stefan and I stopped moving at that and looked at each other. It was clear neither of us had any clue what he was referring to. "And that would mean what exactly?" Stefan crossed his arms in front of him and stood tall. For the first time ever, though I would never admit it to him, he looked deadly. I had never been more proud to be his brother at that moment. I knew we would fight, and we may not get out of this alive, but knowing Stefan had my back was one of the best feelings in the world. Aside from my Bonnie.

_Bonnie..._

Angelo clapped his hands together and grinned from ear to ear. "Now you've got it!"

"You want _Bonnie_?" I knew what he was saying but none of it made any sense. "Why would you want my wife?"

"An eye for an eye, brother," he said, shrugging.

All at once I was hit with visions, both of ones I had seen with my own eyes and new ones. Ones that made perfect sense when put all together. There was Angelo, all dressed in a designer suit, standing at an altar. Through his eyes I saw his bride, Francesca, beaming just as brightly and walking assuredly toward him, holding a huge bouquet of blood red roses. And then I saw me, again through Angelo's eyes, at the back of the room, watching. Always watching...

In another vision, one I knew well, I was holding Francesca under me, as I took her physically. She was not one of my kind yet, but she would be that night. As I ravaged her body, tearing what I now knew to be her wedding gown, she moaned and called out my name, clinging to me and tearing at my clothes just as hurriedly. When I sank my teeth into her warm flesh, even watching this vision, I felt the soothing liquid coat my throat as I heard her speak softly.

_"Yours...only yours...Damon..."_

The next vision, one I would never forget if I lived a thousand more years...my wedding. This time it was he who watched, unbeknownst to us all, from somewhere deep in the surrounding trees. He turned his head, looking at Francesca who stood by his side, smiling wickedly. _"You see, _gattina, _he was never yours. He loves another._" Angelo had said to her. _"I told you, you belong with me."_

_ "But, Damon...he told me..."_ Francesca mumbled, clearly confused. And then the rage took over and she began to tremble. "_I'll _kill_ him!" _she whispered savagely, and moved forward slightly as Angelo grabbed her around the waist.

He buried his nose deep in her hair and whispered to her, "_In due time, my love. I'll give you whatever you want. But first..."_ He had made love to her under the cover of the trees, as I tied myself to the beautiful redhead that had stolen my very being, with Francesca quietly calling _his_ name.

It should have been enough. We had both gotten the women we were meant to be with, and then the vision was that night, when Francesca came to our room and assaulted my wife. I saw her get thrown from the window, and I cringed at the way she lay on the rocks, broken and bleeding.

"That," Angelo bellowed from where he stood, stopping the movie of visions playing in my head, "is where it should have ended. But your wife attacked mine. So..." he stepped closer to us, clasping his hands together in front of him, "an eye for an eye."

Stefan had seen the visions with me, and they clicked in his head at the same moment they clicked in mine. "You mean to kill his bride because his bride killed yours? Hardly the same thing, Esposito. I would think even _you_ would realize that." I glared at Stefan and he gave me a knowing look. _He was on to something._

Angelo looked over at him, a wild look in his eyes as the fury sped through his veins. "I beg your pardon? Do you not realize what that witch has done?"

Stefan stepped closer to the demon, his hands up in surrender. "Why kill Bonnie? Why not go after who you really want. Damon." He nodded his head to where I stood, poised to strike.

Angelo turned his head slowly toward me and grinned again. "Yes, I suppose that would make perfect sense." He turned toward the direction I knew the car was in, and every muscle in my body locked down in preparation. "But she took my love. My revenge _was_ with you, Salvatore. But then, _she_ stepped in and became all about _her._" He started walking slowly in that direction, and then turned sharply back toward us. "No, I don't think I'll kill her. But I will make her suffer as I did."

I had not fed off a human in so long I wasn't sure I could hold my own against Angelo in a fight. Stefan, however, still had a human bride, which he fed off of on a daily basis. I knew he was stronger than me, at this point, and I silently prayed that he could do what I could not; protect our wives at all costs. "No," I said in a voice so strong it surprised him. "This ends tonight. You and me, Angelo. Francesca's dead. My wife died that night, too."

Angelo began to laugh hysterically. "Salvatore, you fool! You have your bride for an eternity! Mine is in pieces in a heap somewhere! You didn't even have the decency to bury her after that bitch drained her!"

I flinched at his words, but I knew I had to keep him talking. He was focused on me, and if Stefan could just get behind him...

In a movement too fast for me to stop, Angelo pounced onto my chest, throwing me to the ground as his canines lengthened and he prepared to attack my throat. I saw Stefan from the corner of my eye leap at us just before Angelo threw his arm out and Stefan went flying back into the tree across from us, knocking him unconscious. I looked into Angelo's eyes, wide with hate and rage, as he spoke and spit at me. "You will die tonight, Salvatore. And you have your _bride_ to thank for that. She'll make such a pretty slave for me through the years...with no one to protect her."

He bit down into my throat, and everything went black as I screamed from the pain. The last thing I remembered was reaching out to Bonnie mentally.

_Cara…I …love…you_.

. . . . . . .

_**Bonnie**_

My head was pounding, and I couldn't see anything. _I'm dead...yup, I'm dead._

Wherever I was it was pitch black. Strangely enough, though, it smelled like home. I blinked like crazy for a few minutes until it finally dawned on me...I _was_ home.

I jumped out of my bed, which I now realized was made exactly the way I made it before I moved out. My trophies were still on my shelves, just like before. Pictures lined my walls of me, Elena, and Meredith...pictures of the dances we went to before Elena's accident. Even though my sight was hazy, I could still make out the details of every book on the shelves, and I whipped my head from side to side attempting to take it all in. _No way..._

"Bonnie!" my mother called from the bottom floor. I nearly jumped out of my skin and narrowed my eyes toward the door. "Time to get up for school!"

_Huh? School? At this hour?_ I glanced at the clock and read 6:45. _What the hell?_ There was no way I could be in my old room at home, getting ready for school. And then I looked back at the bed, as someone rose, rubbing her eyes and yawning. When her hands came back down...I was looking at myself, _years_ _ago._

I stepped out of … _my _way, as I watched myself get ready for the day. The outfit I was wearing...it was the outfit I wore that first day at school that Elena had seen...seen _someone_. I knew there was something I was trying to remember, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"You see," a voice from beside me whispered. "Everything is just as it should be. No worries, not a care in the world."

I turned to see the most gorgeous man I had ever seen in my life. Still, as much of a stranger as he was to me, there was something oddly familiar about him. His smile, the twinkle in his eye when he spoke to me. He caressed my cheek and I turned my face into his hand, his scent pure man and something else I couldn't place. He put his hand in my hair, pulling my hair slightly and bending my head back. His tongue traced my throat as he growled quietly. "Come away with me, Bonnie. I'll make you happier than you have ever been."

Every fiber in my being told me this was wrong, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. I picked my head up to look at him and a memory flashed in my mind. A young man, even more beautiful than the one standing before me, pledging his love and devotion to me. He bowed, kissing my knuckles, and when he looked up at me, my insides turned to mush. _Cara,_ he said in the sexiest Italian accent I had ever heard, _sei tutto per me. Ti amo più della vita stessa. moglie..._

_Moglie...where have I heard that before? Moglie...mia moglie...Signora Salvatore...Stefan...Salvatore...Damon..._

_ Damon...DAMON!_

In a rush everything came back to me and I tried not to clue this man in on my revelation.

_Angelo, his name is Angelo Esposito. And he killed my...husband, Damon. No, Damon's not dead...yet._

Amazingly, Angelo didn't seem to hear my thoughts, or if he did, he wasn't letting on either.

"_Bella,"_ he said quietly, leaning down to kiss my neck, "come. Let's go somewhere we can be alone."

"Absolutely," I said, taking his hand and letting him lead me down the stairs. As soon as we hit the bottom step, my house vanished and we were standing in front of Mrs. Flowers' boarding house.

Angelo turned the knob slowly and opened the door. I could tell Mrs. Flowers wasn't there, but it hadn't been that long since she'd left. _Please, Mrs. Flowers, find the boys. Please._

Angelo turned to me, his smile bright. "Do you like it?"

I nodded slowly, making sure I studied every crevice of the room. "It's quaint. I suppose it'll do."

Angelo smiled again, taking my hand and leading me toward the stairs. _I am not going up those stairs with him. _"Beloved," I successfully held back the bile rising in my throat. "Can't I just look around a while longer?"

His eyebrows rose in amusement. "Sure. I'll just go up and draw a bath for you, _amore_."

I gave him what I prayed was my most convincing smile and turned as he began up the staircase. "I won't be long, I promise," he said as he climbed the stairs slowly.

I had two options. I could either stay and pretend to enjoy myself while I knew my husband and brother-in-law may be dying without my help. Or I could do what my gut was telling me to do.

As quietly as I could, I made my way to the front door, turning the knob as I looked back toward the top of the stairs, and darted out into the night.

. . . . . . .

The clearing was covered in red. I couldn't hold it anymore and I leaned forward, holding my knees as I heaved violently.

_Damon, I need you. Please, if you can hear me, call out. I don't have long before he finds me._

I strained my ears and every sense I had to hear him...and got nothing.

A branch cracked in the shadows and I jumped but tried not to scream.

Elena walked out to me slowly, shaking and terrified. I caught her as she collapsed, crying and shaking furiously. "St..St..Stefan...he's..."

She didn't finish, and I prayed it wasn't what I thought. No, I could still feel him. His life force was weak, but I could still feel it.

"Shh...," I said as I rocked her. "He's not dead...not yet anyway. But I need to find them. I can still feel him." _But I _can't_ feel Damon..._

"I don't know where Angelo took them. Bonnie, I'm scared. What does he want with us?"

"Me," I said simply. "He wants me."

Elena looked up at me from my shoulder. "You? Why?"

"I can answer that."

We both jumped up as Angelo stepped into the clearing. I instinctively put Elena behind me as I stood. Angelo cocked his head to the side, and my heart ached to see my husband do that again. "Perhaps I underestimated you, _streghetta._ Though I can't understand why you _wouldn't_ know. Think _rossa_. Why in the world would I want Salvatore's sloppy seconds?" His tone was no longer caring. He was cold and callous. "What is the saying...? Ah yes, 'revenge is a dish best served cold'. Isn't that it?"

I glanced back at Elena and she shrugged at me. "Nope, no clue what you're talking about." I said as casually as I could when I turned back to him.

He laughed loudly. "Yes, I figured you might say that. Perhaps a reminder for you?"

Angelo looked behind us into the shadows and as I turned, my eyes adjusted, and the sight before me dropped me to my knees again, with Elena watching just as closely.

Damon was lying on the ground only a few feet away, Stefan was not more than a few inches from him, but both were laced in vervain necklaces. _Huh, that would be the only reason neither could fight back._

I reached my hand forward and touched Damon's boot, and damn near did a jig when he jumped slightly. He turned slowly to look at me and my breath caught in my throat. He was swollen and beaten badly, but when his eyes caught mine, his smile blinded me momentarily. _Oh God_, I thought, _are you ok?_

_ Cara,_ he thought, and my entire body began to hum,_ as long as you live, nothing can hurt me. _

I fought back the tears and looked over at Stefan. He was better off than Damon, but not by much. He was breathing, though, and amazingly enough when Elena lept forward to go to him, Angelo remained very still. He stood watching me and Damon, and with my eyes trained again on this devil who had come into our lives, I crawled over closer to my husband and placed his head in my lap.

Angelo clapped his hands together and brought them to his lips. "Y'know, as sweet as this really is, I'm afraid this reunion will be short lived. As soon as the vervain takes over, Bonnie, you will join your husband in hell. Which I must say, really _is_ better than the slavery I had intended for you."

I looked down at Damon, totally confused. I broke my gaze from my husband and looked back at Angelo. "What the hell are you talking about? I haven't done anything to you!"

Angelo's eyes narrowed at me and I was thoroughly surprised he didn't attack me right then. "She doesn't know?" He looked at Damon.

Damon's voice was rough and raspy when he spoke. "No, Angelo. How would she know that?"

As thrilled as I was to hear Damon's voice, I wanted him to save it, so I could enjoy it later. My memories took over the moment, and all I could think of was him and I, saying our vows in front of our family. I recalled perfectly the way he spoke to me in Italian when we made love. Slowly, a single tear escaped and rolled down my chin. Damon raised his hand with great effort and attempted to catch it. His fingers were so cold. I had to get blood to him immediately. _No_ _cara, don't think about me. You have to protect yourself. He means to torture you for Francesca.  
_At the mention of her name I growled, slowly re-positioning Damon onto the ground as I stood to face Angelo. "Francesca? You're mad cause I killed her? Why?"

Angelo closed his eyes, obviously in pain at my words and it finally dawned on me. "She was your lover, wasn't she?"

He screamed, loud and long and dropped to his knees, clutching at the dirt beneath him. "She was my _everything_! You will _never_ know love like the way we shared! I will see to it!"

This normally reserved and composed man writhed on the ground, looking more demented than I had ever seen. He began to speak in Italian at such a fast pace I wasn't sure he was actually speaking. And then I realized what he was doing.

He was attempting to summon the very essence of hell to kill us all.

Elena began to cry softly, and I heard her tell Stefan she was his for all eternity, no matter what happened tonight. I stepped back to where Damon was and reached down to take his hand. "Damon, tell me what to do. How do I help you?"

His voice was even softer than before, and I knew he would die very soon unless I did something. "Bonnie, you can't help me now. You can't help Stefan. You need to protect yourself and Elena from Angelo. Call on whomever you need to, but do it now." He reached up to my cheek once more and closed his eyes as he collapsed.

"No!" I screamed and felt my body warm instantly to an uncomfortable degree. Damon fell from my arms as I felt my body rise off the ground, similar to the way we saw Elena when she had come back to us from the other side. All of the rage, tension, love…every emotion I had ever felt since Damon and I connected in this very clearing so long ago rushed throughout my veins, intensifying and overflowing. I imagined this was how Elena must've felt the night she faced the kitsune, and I knew now how intense her feelings must have been to get this…angry.

I felt my body turn, though I knew it was not of my own accord. My head fell back and in my mind I was transported to the same place I had seen my granddad in my vision. I was Trancing, that I knew, but I had no clue what my body was doing while I was _away_. I heard Elena scream, and as my head snapped back up, I felt Angelo's throat in my hands as I squeezed as hard as I could. Just when I thought I couldn't close my hands any tighter, I felt a surge of Power from behind me. I chanced a look and saw Stefan, standing and whole as he walked toward me, his eyes intent on Angelo and his destruction.

I felt my body begin to tremble under the pressure, and I released my hold, falling back into a warm and familiar embrace. My eyes stayed trained on the interaction between Angelo and Stefan, and I saw Angelo's head come flying off like a bottle top under too much pressure. Stefan held Angelo's body as it twitched and he drank from Angelo's open wounds, much like I did with Francesca when I killed her. I could see Angelo's head roll, and his mouth was still moving, eyes wild and trying to find me. "I will kill you, _ streghetta! _I _will_ avenge my love!" A few more strangled screams and he stopped moving altogether.

I strained to bring myself back to reality and when my eyes snapped open, I realized everything I had just seen in my Trance had really happened, and Angelo was in pieces on the ground before us. I sat up slowly as Elena ran toward Stefan to catch him as he collapsed. Her screams echoed throughout the clearing as she gathered him into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, and begging him to stay with her.

I looked behind me and noticed I had been sprawled across Damon's still form. I wasn't sure if he had caught me when I fell, but I didn't care. All I wanted was for him to know how much I loved him right in that moment, and I picked him up by his shoulders, holding him to me as I rocked.

. . . . . . .

_**I hope to have this finished up in the next couple of chapters. And hopefully updated here in the next couple of weeks. Now that the holidays have passed, I should have way more time!**_

_**I hope you enjoyed this one. Kind of a roller coaster, but if you've been with me for some time, you know that I write as it comes to me. I literally saw Angelo on the ground, screaming and chanting when I wrote it. Yeah, I'm kinda twisted, but aren't we all sometimes? :)**_


	29. Chapter 29

_**Grrr...Even after re-posting, I was still missing words. During the "trance-like" state Bonnie was in last chapter when she was trying to remember Damon, he told her, "You are everything to me. I love you more than life itself. Wait for me...my wife." Somehow, it didn't want to come over when I posted. Damn.**_

_**To my loyal readers, there was another story floating around out there, same title, same concept. As you all know, mine has been out there a LOOOOOOOOONG time. I contacted the author, she changed the title but not the concept. So we'll see. I cannot stand plagiarism, on any level, nor will I tolerate it. Please, if you are writing on this site, respect the ideas and characters created by others. **_

_**When I say that RL kicked my a**...believe me, no joke. My apologies for this being late. I hadn't planned on it taking so long...**_

**29**

_**Bonnie**_

"Damon…" I whispered softly as I stood in the clearing. I knew he heard me. The tingling started moments later, and I could hear the crow's wings beating the wind as he flew to me. It seemed like forever since we had been in this spot so long ago and just as I turned to walk away, I heard him clear his throat.

Damon stood in front of me, across the clearing with his arms crossed in front of him and a smirk on his face.

_Damn_.

He was still gorgeous. But I hadn't expected any different. He would never change, frozen in time in his early twenties. He was still wearing all black, but this time the jacket he wore so frequently was not there. Just a pair of black jeans, black boots, and a tight fitting black t-shirt. _Just like the first time. _He looked at me, cocked his head to the side as he tried to probe my thoughts and frowned when he realized I was blocking him.

"_Rossa_," he said. I smiled at the term. It still sent shivers down my spine to hear him speak in Italian, even if it were just a word or two. I nodded toward him, too dazed to speak. "You called?"

"Yes," I stated proudly. So much had changed, and yet so much was still the same.

"You look well," he said, and smiled at me.

I nodded again. "I should. I'm ecstatically happy these days."

He nodded now. "Are you now? And to what should we give this credit of utter happiness to?" He looked me up and down, still trying to break through my block and read what I was thinking. "Do I know him?"

I had to chuckle. This game would never get old, and we had centuries to perfect it.

I smiled, and then giggled lightly. "I should think so. I'm looking right at him."

He took a step toward me and I laughed. "Ah _cara_, that's…sweet."

He was only inches away from me now and I could hear my heart thrumming like a hummingbird's wings, this time with excitement. He never ceased to elicit this response from me. He could hear it too, I was sure. And then he grinned widely, showing me his fully extended canines.

_Damn. That's so hot._

His eyes snapped to mine from where he was engrossed in the blood flow at my throat. "_Rossa_," he purred, and reached out his hand to caress my cheek. "Why don't we go home?"

I blinked slowly and looked away shyly. He always liked it when I played the shy little school girl. When I looked back at him, my canines had extended as well. _This could get very loud…_

He closed his eyes and bent his head back slowly, breathing deeply. "You do realize that there aren't people around for miles. This could not only get loud…it could get…_dangerous_."

I giggled again. He would never hurt me. We would be together for eternity now. I shrugged playfully. "Nothing can hurt me now. Not now that I'm with you."

He wrapped me up in his arms and kissed the top of my head, breathing in my strawberry scented hair. "Bonnie," he whispered, "you will never know how much I love you. No words could ever truly put it into perspective. I am so thankful for that day."

"What day?"

He looked at me and licked his lips. "The day we re-create every other week, it seems. Just like today."

I picked my head up to look into his eyes. "Does it bother you?"

He shook his head and kissed my forehead. "No, not at all. I just know there are so many different memories of this place and I'm actually very pleased you choose _this_ one. It's by far my happiest of this place."

It had been five weeks since the showdown with Angelo. Elena, Stefan and I had all taken part in nursing Damon back to health. Instead of injuring people, or allowing my husband to rekindle the gigolo side of him, as I liked to call it, we had broken into the blood bank to get him the elixir that would bring him back to us… to me. It seemed so cliché, but it had been so very necessary.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I can't believe we were just feet away from here." I took his hand and we started to walk away from the scene of what was quite possibly the worst night of my life.

"_Damon? Can you hear me?" _

_I shook him gently, but he wasn't moving. The only thing going through my head at that moment was that I was going to lose the one person I loved more than anything. _No_, I thought to him,_ you will _not_ die and leave me here without you!

_Stefan cleared his throat from behind me and I knew his thoughts before he even spoke. "I will _not_ leave him."_

"_Bonnie, I think-"_

"_I really don't care _what_ you think, Stefan. If he were dead, I'd feel it." I looked down at my husband, lying so still and so pale, and brushed a stray hair off his forehead. "Just help me get him to the boarding house. I'll take it from there."_

_We carried Damon to the boarding house...well, _Stefan_ carried him while I ran beside him with Elena on my back. Once we reached the door, Mrs. Flowers ushered us inside and up to the room she had given to Damon and me only hours before. Stefan laid him on the bed while I drew a hot bath to warm him up. _So reminiscent of the night the malach had almost killed us...

_Elena left the room as Stefan undressed my husband. I took the remaining clothes off just before we placed him into the hot tub and Stefan joined his wife just outside the door. When I could no longer hear their thoughts clearly I turned every bit of my attention to Damon._

"_Hey," I said as he slowly opened his eyes. _

"_Hey yourself," he said in a raspy and weak voice. _

"_I thought I'd lost you." My voice began to tremble, betraying the tough exterior I was trying to show._

_Damon saw through me, of course. He always did. "You can't lose me, _cara_. I fought too hard to have you. You can't get rid of me that easily."_

_He attempted a chuckle and began to cough. "Stop," I said, smoothing his hair back. "Don't do too much. Are you ready?"_

_His eyebrows drew together as he tried to understand my question. "For?" I stood then, removing all of my clothes and stepping into the tiny tub with him. "_Cara_, I don't think now is the time-"_

"_Y'know, for someone so worldly and with all this knowledge, you sure don't know a lot about women." I shook my head as he smiled and reached for me. "We never just _feed_. I won't ravage your body just yet, that comes later. But I can't just open a wound and have you drink. We always drink _together_. This doesn't change anything."_

_Damon smiled again, this time reaching his eyes. "Well, then I suppose we should get started." _

_I leaned forward as he bit into my throat at the base and began to drink quietly. "That's it," I whispered, "take your fill."_

_He grunted as he held the back of my head, my curls draping down from where his hand was placed amongst my hair. I wrapped my legs around him, bringing him closer to me until I felt him stiffen and go limp in my arms. "Damon? Baby?" I leaned back and tried to look into his eyes, but they were rolling back into his head and he looked like he had been completely drained of every ounce of blood._

_My scream echoed throughout the small boarding house, and within seconds, Stefan and Elena were at my sides; Elena pulling me out of the tub to cover my naked body and Stefan dragging Damon out to lay him on the floor. Stefan looked up at me, the questions written all over his pain-stricken face that he didn't want to ask. "What happened?" he finally asked as he felt for Damon's pulse._

"_He...he was feeding...a...and then...then he just...went limp. Did I do something wrong?" I could feel myself shaking and in that moment I was not the powerful hybrid priestess/vampire. I was a terrified bride who feared her attempt to help her husband might have actually killed him. _

_Elena rocked me as I sobbed, and we watched Stefan pull a small plastic bag from a larger paper one. I recognized it instantly and my mouth began to water. _

_Human blood._

_In a … bag?_

"_Where did you-"_

_Elena shushed me and brought my face back to look at her. "Stefan had a feeling he would need _human_ blood. So we...improvised."_

"_You broke into a blood bank?" I nearly shouted and glared at Stefan. In truth, how could I complain? This would surely save my husband's life, even though the mere smell of it was driving me insane with thirst._

_Stefan glared back, and a thought occurred to me. _

He may be your husband, but don't forget that's still his brother.

_I returned my gaze to Elena and my shoulders slumped. "Of course. Do what you need to."_

_I couldn't watch as Stefan picked Damon's head up, feeding him the very thing of mine that seemed to be contaminated in some way. "What happened?" Elena asked softly._

_I hadn't realized I was now laying in her lap and she was stroking my hair as I cried softly. "I tried to let him feed off me. I don't know what happened. We do it all the time." I trailed off, hearing that Damon was done drinking behind me, and no longer feeling the overwhelming need to feed with him. _

"_Your blood is too powerful for him," Stefan said as he rose, picking up his brother and carrying him to the bed. _

"_Too powerful? But we feed off each other all the time. It's never bothered him before."_

"_It's the Druid part of you, dear," Mrs. Flowers said as she appeared out of nowhere yet again. We all jumped at the sound of her voice but she didn't seem to notice as she flitted about the room, putting things away in the chest of drawers at the far end of the room. She hadn't looked at any of us as she spoke. "When you're both healthy, it's fine. But the potency of your blood, while he is so weak, could kill him." She shrugged and walked back out of the room, leaving us all in awe at the quiet little woman who seemed to have so much knowledge but no one to share it with._

_I looked over at Stefan, who was staring at me wide-eyed. "Did you know that?"_

_He shook his head slowly. "If I'd known I would've never left you alone with him." He chuckled and looked back at Damon, whose color had improved significantly and now seemed to be sleeping peacefully. "He'll need more. Can I trust you alone with him?"_

_I smirked at him and narrowed my eyes at him as he raised his hands in surrender. I giggled at the sight of the four of us, once enemies and now finally working as a team._

"What are you chuckling about?" Damon asked me, breaking my thoughts and thrusting me back into the present. We had almost made it back to the boarding house.

"Oh, the night I almost killed you," I said, and ducked out of his arms when he moved to tickle my ribs. "Who would've known that the one act that we enjoyed so much could actually do more harm than good?"

"A man dying while making love with his wife. Not a bad way to go, I think," he said, looking up and smiling.

I punched him lightly in the ribs. "Now you know good and well we were _not_ even _close_ to that. But I have to say I'm very glad _that_ part of your recovery didn't take too long." He snickered from where he stood just steps behind me. We would be leaving tonight for good, going back to Malibu. "I need to say goodbye to Meredith and Alaric."

"And give Jessa a big hug, no doubt." Damon's smile was brighter than I had ever seen, and I found the more I looked at him, the deeper in love I felt.

"Of course," I said, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't wait to see how she's changed this week."

Damon got quiet suddenly and when I turned away from him, I was shocked to see Matt standing in the foyer of the boarding house. "I'll leave you two alone," Damon whispered as he kissed my shoulder and walked up the stairs. Matt's eyes never left him, and once Damon was out of sight, Matt turned back to look at me.

"You look good," he whispered.

"Thanks," I said as I fidgeted under his gaze. Matt had turned his back on us so long ago that I couldn't even remember if he had ever seen me since I had been Changed.

Matt didn't move from his position across from me and it occurred to me that he was probably scared of me. "You don't have to be, y'know."

Matt's eyes narrowed at me. "Don't have to be what?"

"Scared. Of me. I won't bite you. I've had my fill." My attempt at a joke didn't go over well. "So what brings you here?"

"Meredith told me you guys were leaving today. I figured this was my last chance."

"Last chance?" _He couldn't possibly be still thinking he could get me away from Damon._

"To clear the air with you."

_Oh. Wasn't expecting that one._

"Matt, you don't need-"

"Bonnie please," he said, holding a hand a to stop me. "I _need_ to say this." I nodded and motioned for him to follow me into the sitting room. He cleared his throat and sat on the arm of the sofa. "I know you're happy. I can see that now. And while I don't _agree_ with your choice exactly, I know it wasn't mine to make. So, not that you need it or anything...but you have my blessing."

I knew my jaw had dropped, because Matt looked away with the reddest face I had ever seen. "I...I'm sorry. I don't mean to embarrass you. I'm just … shocked. I never thought those words would come out of your mouth. Like _ever._" Matt shrugged without looking at me. "But it means a lot to me, Matt. It truly does."

He looked up at me and smiled, stiffening instantly when Damon strode back into the room. "_Cara_, we should get going soon." Damon glanced over at Matt, and when Matt smiled, I watched Damon's eyes narrow and then widen in shock. "Thank you, Mutt. I mean, _Matt_. It took a lot for you to come here, and I know my wife appreciates it."

Matt nodded and turned to leave when Mrs. Flowers appeared again out of nowhere. He jumped back slightly and the old woman looked up at him, took his jaw in her hand and squeezed his face, smooshing his cheeks together so he was pouting. "They're good to have you, y'know. You've kept them grounded this entire time."

We all stared at Mrs. Flowers and I all but _heard_ the wheels turning in Damon's head. "Mrs. Flowers," he started, walking slowly to her and placing one arm around her shoulder. "I don't suppose we could bother you for some information?"

Mrs. Flowers smiled modestly, placing her hand on her chest and shrugging demurely. "What exactly do you need, dear?"

He led her over to the opening of the foyer and into the kitchen. "First, some tea," he said lightly. _We need to get the rest of them here._ I heard his thought and was already running up and back down the stairs in the next second. Matt watched as I dialed Stefan's number, instructing him to get here as fast as he could. With the sun now setting, _he_ could get here pretty quickly, but Elena would still have to fly the conventional way. He agreed to be on the next flight out with his bride, which conveniently left in about twenty minutes. _The perks of being a vampire._

When I got back into to the kitchen, I saw Meredith and Alaric walking in through the side door, with Jessa strapped safely into her car seat. "The others will be here as soon as they can," Damon said when he caught my eye. "Mrs. Flowers, I would love to know what you know about my kind."

Mrs. Flowers looked around as though others were in the room, and then gazed back at my husband. She leaned in and whispered, "You mean..._vampires_?"

Damon smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean." His smile still dazzled me and I couldn't imagine myself ever getting used to the sensations. He looked over at me, winked, and then looked back at Mrs. Flowers. He chuckled at hearing my thoughts and I had to look away to gather myself before he continued.

"Well," she said, sitting down and leaning back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. "I can tell you that your wife will not need the ring you and your brother have. Her Druid ties are much too strong for that, as I'm sure you've noticed." I looked down at the ring I wore on my right hand. "Take it off, girl," she said dismissively, waving her hand at me without looking in my direction. "You'll see. You won't need it. You didn't need it in Florence, did you?"

She couldn't know that. I had never spoken about it, though. And to my knowledge she hadn't joined us on our honeymoon. "But..."

Mrs. Flowers turned to look at me fully. "Bonnie McCullough Salvatore, it will always amaze me how you looked far and wide for what was right in front of you the entire time."

Matt's jaw dropped from where he stood beside me, and Damon's eyes widened. Alaric's breath caught and Meredith gasped "You mean-"

"Of course. I'm an elder. Why else would I know all of this information? And why else would I have let you and your brother stay here?" She wagged a finger in Damon's direction and smiled wide. "I knew you wouldn't hurt me. _You_ didn't, of course, but I always knew."

_**Damon**_

Bonnie shook her head, mentally trying to fit everything into place. "Mrs. Flowers, I don't know what to say."

She stood and walked over to my bride, taking her face in her small, wrinkled hands. "Dear girl, you entered this world not knowing anything about it, but you've transitioned fabulously. Your ancestors would be so proud. Especially your grandfather."

"You...you _knew_ him, didn't you?"

She nodded, smiling wide and releasing Bonnie's face. "You're what drew me here. Your family, I mean. Shortly after, Stefan and his brother showed and I knew it was just a matter of time before you were all intertwined. Life has a funny way of working things out."

Meredith was looking at all of us with her mouth hanging open. "Close your mouth, honey. You look like a fish." Alaric whispered.

"Wait, I don't get it," Meredith said after she shook her head and blinked her eyes a few times. "You've been here since we were kids, Mrs. Flowers. Probably even before that. How did Bonnie draw you here?"

Mrs. Flowers turned to her and walked slowly to her side. "Before Bonnie's grandmother came here, just after her grandfather had passed on, she touched me as she Tranced."

"Gran...," Bonnie whispered softly.

Mrs. Flowers nodded at her and then continued. "She was looking for an elder, and I was the closest in the vicinity. She asked for my help in getting your parents here, where she knew she'd be safe."

"Safe? Why? What from?"

Mrs. Flowers sat back down in her chair. She clasped her hands against her lips and sighed deeply. "Hunters. They'd been after your grandfather for years. They were both Druids, which made them a threat."

Bonnie gasped this time. _All these years I had never known this side of my grandparents, _I heard in her thoughts._ Yes, I knew of her Druid heritage, but my grandfather, too? It was impossible...wasn't it?_

"Never before had there been a more powerful coupling. Many people wanted them apart, but their love, and their ties to each other were too strong. So...when the time came, and the hunters found them, he gave up his life to save hers. That's when she found me. We moved here together, she and I, and no one was the wiser."

She looked back at me, and then to Bonnie, with a tear in her eye. "Bonnie, it was the two of us that kept you safe all those years. You've had evil chasing after you from day one."

I instantly growled from across the room and in half a second, I was directly next to Bonnie, my body tense and ready to strike. Her hand on my arm calmed me, and I relaxed considerably. "What do you mean, Mrs. Flowers?"

"People have hunted our kinds since the dawn of man." She shrugged, and got up for more tea. "We've all grown accustomed to it, of course, but it doesn't make it any easier. It's hard to deal with the running all the time. Do you know how exhausting that is?" She turned toward me and giggled. _Of course _you_ know!_ "At any rate, when the hunters found your grandparents, they made a vow to each other to keep their children safe. Your mother and her siblings never knew anything about their ties to the Druids, and they all lived in peace...until _you_ came along." She smiled at Bonnie and I felt the warmth radiate off her skin. "You looked so much like your Gran when she was young. She tried to keep it all from you for so long and it never worked out for her. She'd slip up on occasion."

Bonnie nodded, remembering those times when she'd catch her saying something, or doing something out of the ordinary. "I remember..." she said, more to herself than anyone else.

"So one day, when she couldn't take it any longer, she let you have it! The full force of what you are. Do you remember that as well?"

"I do," she said, nodding again. Her thoughts drifted off to the day she was told about her heritage. They had sat for hours talking, well into the night. "I was only ten years old."

Mrs. Flowers nodded solemnly. "She was so excited that you finally knew and that you embraced it so well. She didn't tell anyone else, for fear that she would be telling the wrong person unknowingly. I had never seen her so happy since the day I met her."

"So when Granddad said I need to open my eyes..."

"He meant me." Mrs. Flowers grinned and crossed her arms in front of her. "You were searching so long for answers when all you needed to do was look at what was right in front of you."

I smiled this time, wider than I had in months. "So, then answer me this, is she immortal?"

Mrs. Flowers' smile faded slowly. "No, my dear. You'll both live as long as your spouse does, of that I'm sure. But you _can_ be killed. No one's ever figured out _how_ exactly. But it _can_ be done."

"So, when Angelo told us she was immortal...?" I had my arms crossed now.

"He was trying to get her to kill herself."

Bonnie's eyes widened at least ten times. "He what?" she shrieked.

"Bonnie, think about it," Mrs. Flowers reached across the table and lay her hand on top of Bonnie's. "If you died, what would that do to him?" She nodded her head towards me, and my face went white. I could never have survived if Bonnie had actually..._died._ As it was, the only reason I hadn't broken down on our wedding day when she had gone through the window was because I knew what she would be coming back to me as. I looked at her, and when our eyes caught, hers were glistening with unshed tears.

"It would kill him," she said, and Mrs. Flowers nodded before Bonnie even finished the thought.

"And then his job would be done. That's what he wanted, right?" Alaric asked from the corner of the room where he was now rocking Jessa.

"Mm hmm," Mrs. Flowers sat back in her chair again. "But his hands would've been clean. There would have been no revenge on your husband's part. He would've been free to live his life, with Damon none the wiser."

"Wow..." Meredith sighed from across the table. "This all sounds like a perfect bedtime story, doesn't it?"

"Except it's not a story. It's real life," I moaned. "I'm so glad our memory is perfect. There's no way your human brain could remember all that to tell Elena and Stefan," I said to Bonnie, chuckling softly.

"Oh my gosh! Elena! What will she think of all this?" Bonnie shouted, jumping out of her seat and rushing to the front door.

I followed her out to the foyer where I found her crumpled on the floor, sobbing quietly. "_Cara_," I whispered as I gathered her into my arms. "What is it?"

She looked up at me, smiling through her tears. "Can you believe all of this? I mean, seriously? It seems like some morbid fairy tale, doesn't it?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to decipher where she was going with this thought pattern. "Morbid, I could see. Fairy tale? Not sure I would choose that particular picture, but if you say so..."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me impossibly close, burying her face in my neck. "I love you, so very much. I never thought this day would ever come."

"And what day is that, exactly?"

"The day when we no longer have to run. We don't have to hide anymore. We got our 'blessing' from _Matt_, of all people. And we get to live for centuries together. Maybe even forever."

I nodded, kissing each of her temples and breathing her wonderful strawberry scent in. She was my sun _and_ my Earth. She was my everything, and now I would get to spend my eternity with her by my side.

_**Bonnie**_

The sun shone brightly through our window, awaking me at what I knew had to be dawn. Damon slept soundly next to me and I wiggled out from under his arm, walking onto the balcony of our bedroom. It had been a week since we'd been home. Elena and Stefan had been briefed on what we had learned from Mrs. Flowers, and we were all still processing the information. Slowly everything we knew now had fallen into place, and was making more sense by the minute.

I felt Damon before I heard him behind me. "Good morning, _cara_."

I purred as I leaned back into his arms. "Good morning."

"Y'know one thing we never asked?"

"What's that?" I asked as I turned in his arms.

"Why Elena saw my mother. You don't think that's strange?" Damon cocked his head to the side, looking at me and licking his lips before he leaned in to kiss me.

"It is," I agreed. "But maybe it was just to get your attention."

"But what was the riddle thing?"

"Um...I don't know. Maybe we never will." I lay my head on his chest, breathing in his scent and basking in the warm Malibu sun. It was good to know the answers to the questions we'd had. Still, I knew that the memory of Elisabetta Salvatore would forever be embedded in Damon and Stefan's memory, and one day we'd get to the bottom of it all. But today...today would be ours. Today I would be with my husband, to enjoy him, to love him, and to have him for the rest of my life.

I would forever be grateful for that day in the clearing. When I gave in to my fear and my passion, which had turned out to be the same thing. Ironic, but strangely comforting.

_**Well...I think that's it. I'm sure there will be an epilogue, just because I loved writing this story. I thank L.J. Smith for creating these characters that were my generation's Twilight. Yeah, I said it. Totally just dated myself...**_

_**I want to thank my readers who have stuck with me from the beginning and that reviewed faithfully. Thank you so much. I was so scared to put any of my writings up here, and that first review for my first story, Shock to the System, put my fears to rest. So thank you. **_

_**I will be posting a o/s soon, and probably working on something else in the future. Gimme a couple months to get it written out and posting will come quicker...scout's honor!**_

_**Thank you all again!**_

_**All my love,**_

_**Firefly**_


	30. Epilogue

_**Ah…the epilogue…**_

_**Such a sad thing to write. To know that your story has finally come to an end. I would like to thank you all for reading and reviewing. Particularly a handful that have stayed with me for quite some time, and are almost NEVER quiet.**_

_**As always, my "beta" Kryptonite12: the fact that you are critical, but in a constructive way, helps me so much. It is because of you I write. I have so many more that I don't want to leave anyone out. Just know I read every single review, and I appreciate the comments, truly. **_

_**My inspirations…those who's stuff I read regularly…AngelGoddess1981, Bronzehyperion, MsBond, and Jenny0719 to name a few…. I absolutely LOVE they way they write. They write mostly, if not all, Twilight. I may delve into that world in a bit…Got some ideas swimming around in my head with that storyline…**_

_**And now…**_

Epilogue

_**Damon**_

_If anyone would have told me I, Damon Salvatore, would have taken to writing in a journal, I'd have thought them mad. Still, it seems to help my bride, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. One would be amazed to see how much better you feel after putting your feelings on paper._

_ It's been three years since that day in Mrs. Flowers' home. Three years since our world was finally made right. My bride is happy knowing we will be together for an eternity. Do I think we are no longer at risk? Absolutely not. I'm not a fool. The moment another of our kind gets wind of our existence, we will have to move ourselves, our belongings, our families…_

_ Ah yes, our _families_. Jessa is now three years old, and into just about everything she can get her hands on. She is extremely inquisitive, and we are all anxiously awaiting the day when she notices our lack of aging and questions us. She's still young enough that she hasn't yet, and that scares both Meredith and Bonnie immensely. I continually tell her she need not worry, but it does nothing to calm her. Perhaps when we are able to move from this place and start anew it will put her fears to rest. Never completely, but somewhat. _

_ Elena and Stefan have decided to adopt. _

_ Not that they didn't try to conceive, but they weren't sure of what the outcome would have been. Stefan didn't want to deal with the what-ifs, and I cannot say I blame him. Had it been Bonnie in her place…well…I'd rather not even think of it. I know the thought of leaving Jessa behind will torture both Bonnie and Elena, as they refer to her affectionately as their niece. But it's a necessity, and both of our brides are well aware of it._

_ Curiously, Elena doesn't seem to have aged either. My kind is usually fairly attuned to changes in the body, and neither Stefan nor I have noticed any differences. I've been meaning to discuss this with him, but it seems as if we never get the time. _

I heard Bonnie's squeals before she hit the stairs and ran to put my journal away. Not even my bride knew of my new hobby, and I was more than willing to keep that little secret from her. She burst through the door as I walked back into the room from our adjoining bathroom, and threw herself into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and kissing every part of my face except my lips. I chuckled. "To what do I owe this extreme show of affection, _cara_?"

She leaned back and grinned from ear to ear. "Our nephew," she said as she continued her assault on my face.

I pulled back to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "Our _nephew_?"

"Yes," she squealed between kisses. "Our nephew."

"I take it my brother and his wife were given the green light?"

Bonnie's eyes glistened as she spoke. "You take it correctly." Suddenly she leaped from my arms and was across the room before I could blink. "They'll be here any minute."

My wife...she was somewhat of a tornado in that moment, and I found myself leaning back and watching her. As she sashayed about our bedroom, even at our speed, she was breathtaking. Out of nowhere, or perhaps she had had them all along and I was too lovestruck to notice, she had outlet covers in her hands and was gently pushing them into every outlet in our bedroom. "_Cara_," I whispered, "do you really think we need all of that already?"

Bonnie stopped short and looked at me, her head cocked to one side in thought. "Why wouldn't we?"

I walked slowly to her, my arms outstretched, and she walked into my embrace, running her hands along my arms until they rested behind my head. "Well, how old is this nephew we are expecting?"

Bonnie grinned and turned a beautiful shade of crimson. "Six months," she said shrugging. "I guess it's a little premature?"

I nodded as I smiled at her. No, _breathtaking_ was not the word for her. In all my existence, there had never been a woman more beautiful than my Bonnie. "There are no words for how beautiful you are. Truly. _Non posso dire abbastanza._"

She smiled and I heard the thoughts in her head that made me want to lock all the doors and take her right where we stood. She giggled, no doubt at _my_ thoughts, and pulled my hair to bring my lips to hers. "Have I mentioned how sexy it is when you speak Italian to me?"

This time I grinned and pulled her impossibly closer. The smell of strawberries assaulted my senses and I could think of nothing but her. Her eyes, her lips, the way her hips fit right into my hands...I could hear her heart rate quicken and at the exact moment I was prepared to pull each article of clothing off, we both heard the car doors outside. "Another time," she whispered against my lips as she pulled away slowly. My growl resonated throughout the room and I heard my brother chuckle from where they stood at the front door.

_Did we interrupt something, Damon?_

I shook my head, knowing he couldn't see me, but could probably guess what he _did_ interrupt. Oh, I would surely repay his horrible timing sometime in the near future.

"They're here."

_**Bonnie**_

"They're here."

With my husband's words I flew down the stairs in excitement. I reached the door in record time, even for my speed, and threw the door open.

Beautiful gray eyes captivated me, as the little boy in Elena's arms reached for me. "Well, it looks like he's taken to his Aunt Bonnie already." Stefan chuckled as Elena handed the baby to me.

He looked to be about eight months old, and he had the chubbiest cheeks I had ever remembered seeing on a baby. "His name is Dante."

I could hear Damon's thoughts behind me as he stared at the boy in my arms. _He's beautiful, isn't he?_ I nodded in response and felt my eyes glistening.

"Dante Salvatore, you are a handsome one," I said, lifting him high in the air as he squealed with delight. Toothless baby grins had always been a weakness of mine. "Whatever will we do with such beauty in one family?"

Elena giggled and reached for Dante. He squirmed in her grasp and tried to turn to see me again, and that's when I noticed it.

He wore a lapis lazuli ring on his pinky.

Damon must've noticed it at that exact moment, too. He gasped and pulled me to stand behind him. "Tell me you didn't."

Stefan stopped him almost mid-sentence. "Of course not! We all know the legends of the immortal children. They are born from evil. And besides, no one has ever actually _seen_ any of them anyway. They're a myth."

Elena clutched Dante to her chest tightly. "My son is not evil. And he's not an immortal either. We just figured he could have a ring that matched Stefan's so no one would question it."

I laughed lightly. I was the only immortal out of all of us that could be seen in daylight without the ring, and it hadn't occurred to me that they would give their child one. No one had ever questioned Stefan's when we were in high school, so the thought of others asking about it was almost unheard of. "Sorry," I whispered, grinning sheepishly. "Habit."

Elena smiled slightly and walked further into the house, holding a squealing Dante on her hip. _She looks absolutely natural_, I thought, and Damon and Stefan both nodded.

"I do not," Elena said, and then gasped. "Wait, did you say that out loud?"

I shook my head slowly and Damon and Stefan were looking back and forth between us and each other. "What do you think that means?"

Elena shrugged and sat on the sofa, placing Dante on his blanket that seems to appear out of nowhere. Stefan shrugged this time. Apparently he was faster than even my eyes could see. "Doesn't matter, I guess. Whatever happens, happens. Right guys?"

No one spoke, not out loud anyway. Damon's thoughts were going a mile a minute. I saw people that must've been from his past, because I surely didn't recognize any of them. The places in his thoughts were somewhat more familiar, but still not totally clear. I recognized Florence, and the room in which most of our honeymoon was spent. I smiled as he lingered on the first night we made love as husband and wife, savoring every inch of my body that his hands touched. And then, Francesca came into his thoughts and I growled quickly.

Stefan's were easier to follow, so I jumped over to his. He was thinking of all of his time with Elena, from the moment they met in high school till the very second he walked in today, all in the span of about sixty seconds. I saw the memories clearly.

He was trying to put all of it together with no luck.

I felt bad that he was frustrated with this new finding, and realized at that point that a mere five minutes had passed. It seemed like a lifetime. Then again, I had just seen _two_ lifetimes flash across my eyes in that short time frame.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked around the room. Dante was playing with one of his toys, Elena was hovering over him, smiling and playing with him. Stefan and Damon were in the corner talking quietly. And I stood crouched in the living room, poised to attack. Strangely enough, no one commented on my stance and I stood quickly, smoothing my t-shirt down and back into place. I knew Damon would tell me later, and if he didn't..._No, he'll tell me._ I caught his eye and he nodded slowly, still speaking with Stefan. I knew he had heard my thoughts but that would be discussed later as well.

"Well, are we gonna have dinner or what? I'm starving!" Elena's voiced sounded strained, and I knew her well enough to know she was stressed over what hearing our thoughts meant, but she would never say it. I made a mental note to talk to her later about it.

We pulled up to the Italian restaurant my husband and I frequented and Giovanni welcomed us with open arms. He kissed both of my cheeks and embraced my husband in that 'manly hug' they all did. We introduced him to Stefan and Elena, and then Giovanni's wife, Rosa, caught sight of Dante.

It was all over after that.

Not a waitress in sight hadn't come to coo over Dante, and gawk at my husband and brother-in-law judging from all of their thoughts. Dante ate up the attention and I knew this would be the start of something so much bigger. _We are _so_ gonna have a heart breaker on our hands with this one._ Stefan nodded and laughed, picking up his son from his wife and kissing his forehead.

On the ride back to our house, Elena and I sat in the back of our Escalade, while the boys sat up front and attempted not to listen to our conversation. They failed miserably.

"What do you think it all means?" Elena asked quietly over Dante's sleeping form.

I pulled my gaze from his entrancing face and shook my head. "I don't know. I suppose we could go back and speak with Mrs. Flowers, but last I heard she was traveling the world. And the thought of anyone else knowing about us frankly scares me to death. I think we may be at a standstill with this one."

"That would be an impasse," Damon corrected from the driver's seat and then flinched at the realization that he'd been caught eavesdropping. "Sorry, we were all thinking the same thing."

Stefan swallowed thickly. "I say we leave things as is. No sense leading more people to us than necessary."

I could hear Elena wanted to agree, but another part of her was terrified of the possibilities. There was no telling what the knowledge of her future would do to her, her family, and especially others out there that meant to do our kind harm. And unfortunately, those that hated us outweighed those that didn't. Still, what she didn't know couldn't hurt her, right? None of us were sure.

_**Stefan**_

Three days had passed since we had returned from Damon and Bonnie's. Three days since the subject of our future had been addressed. I knew Elena was fairly freaked out about it, but I knew I could never take the chance of someone else finding out about our family. I would never put my wife and son in danger.

_My son..._

Had anyone told me that this ..._fate..._ I had been dealt would give me a wife and son later in my existence, I'd have thought them cruel for joking with me. I walked into my bedroom to find Elena rocking our son gently and singing to him. "I sing horribly," she whispered softly, "but I don't think he minds too much."

I smiled and walked over to sit on the bed across from the rocking chair she sat in. "Keep going. He's almost asleep."

Sure enough, just moments later we heard the soft snores coming from Dante's sleeping form. Elena rose and walked him into his room across the hall as I sat and watched them. For the first time in my life, I had no fear, no apprehension. Everything was exactly as it should be in the world.

I looked up to see Elena closing the door behind her softly and sauntering over to me. "Y'know," she said as she crawled up my legs, "we could try again."

"We could," I said as she captured my earlobe between her teeth.

"Stefan..." her voice was almost inaudible and I wouldn't have caught it if not for my impeccable hearing. "_Non ti manca di me?_"

"Don't I miss you?"

"Huh?" she asked bringing her head back.

"You just asked me if I missed you."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. And you asked me in Italian."

Elena leaned back and took my face in her hands. "Stefan, I didn't say anything, and you and I both know I can't speak a lick of Italian."

"But I'm sure-"

"I think we both need some sleep," she said, and rolled off my lap, turning out the bedside lamp and settling herself under the covers.

_**Damon**_

The air whipped around me fiercely, almost as if it were angry. If such a thing were possible. I narrowed my eyes at the figure walking toward me. The shape was forming into a person. I could see that at least. I was about to spring when a musical voice came from the shape. "Damon…" it whispered in tune with the wind.

Long, blond locks started to form, and then eyes so blue they could only compare to the stone in my ring. I shielded my eyes to give myself a guard against the wind, now howling uncontrollably. The figure stepped closer to me, and I almost choked when I saw her face. _Katherine? _

The closer she came, the more afraid I felt. There was no way Katherine could be here now. She came closer, and I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Elena," I looked down at my feet and then back at her face. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

Elena didn't speak. She just kept moving as if I hadn't spoken. My eyebrow went up in confusion. Why wasn't she speaking? Suddenly she leapt at me, grabbing me by the face and pulling me close to her for a kiss and knocking us to the ground. No, not a kiss. _She was preparing to bite me_.

I felt my eyes widen. "What the hell…?" I tried to push her off through her struggles, but she was strong…almost _too_ strong.

Elena threw her head back, laughing cruelly. And then the form changed, and I was staring into Misao's cold, dead eyes. "Hello Damon," she said seductively, and bent her head down to me again from where she sat on my chest.

I used all of my strength and shoved against her shoulders as hard as I could, throwing her across the field. She laughed again, the laughs turning into impious screams, and then she disappeared.

I was up with a start, drenched with sweat and reaching for Bonnie to make sure she was still there. Her long arms wrapped around me, holding me to her as I shook. _What the hell was that?_

"Tell me," she whispered.

"Katherine. Misao. They're back."

_**Uh oh! Does that leave this open for a sequel?**_

_**Tell me what you think? I wanted to continue this storyline, but I would have to get a few chapters written before I even go there. Can't be updating once a month anymore right? Let me hear from you. If no one wants me to continue, then I put this story to bed, open ended and all!**_

_**I look forward to hearing what you all think!**_

_**Much love...**_

_**-Firefly**_


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